LAGOS, Nigeria — A global crackdown on human traffickers and migrant smugglers coordinated by Interpol led to the arrest of more than 3,700 suspects and aided over 4,400 potential trafficking victims around the world, the law enforcement organization said Monday.
Interpol said 14,000 officers carried out Operation Liberterra III between Nov. 10 and Nov. 21. The operation across 119 countries resulted in 3,744 arrests, the protection of 4,414 potential victims and the detection of 12,992 people caught in illegal migration schemes.
Authorities opened at least 720 new investigations, according to the agency headquartered in France that helps police in 196 member countries collaborate to fight international crime.
“Criminal networks are evolving, exploiting new routes, digital platforms and vulnerable populations,” Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement. “Identifying these patterns allows law enforcement to anticipate threats, disrupt networks earlier and better protect victims.
Interpol highlighted cases involving South Americans and Asians in Africa, saying there appeared to be an emerging change in human trafficking that contrasts with past patterns of African victims being trafficked abroad.
Trafficking scams remained a serious concern, with migrants intercepted from dangerous routes along the coasts of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco and Algeria and land networks in Peru, Brazil and other countries, Interpol said.
Authorities in the West and Central African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone reported law enforcement action that rescued more than 200 victims and disrupted “multiple recruitment and exploitation hubs.”
Victims in Africa often are recruited through the pretext of foreign employment. Traffickers charge high fees and force victims to recruit friends and family in exchange for improved conditions, furthering a pyramid scheme model, Interpol said.
A 2025 cybercrime crackdown in Africa led to the arrest of 1,209 suspects who targeted 88,000 people. In Asia, authorities discovered 450 workers in a single raid on a compound in Myanmar, Interpol said.
Adetayo writes for the Associated Press.
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