Human trafficking

Holding small dogs in their arms or dressed in minimal clothing with bare feet, shivering from the cold, victims of trafficking and exploitation networks beg on the main streets of Greece’s major cities. These individuals mainly come from Romania and Bulgaria.

Greece has dismantled a criminal group that trafficked Colombian women to Greece and forced them to perform sex work at apartments and strip clubs, police said.

Police this week arrested the alleged leader and eight members of the sex trafficking ring which has been operating since at least 2019, police said in a statement.

One of Bulgaria's largest criminal networks involved in migrant trafficking has been dismantled following a coordinated operation by the Border Police and the National Security Agency (SANS). Ten individuals were arrested today, including the ringleader from Burgas.

The Subdivision for Combating Human Trafficking dismantled a criminal organization involved in trafficking foreign women for sexual exploitation. Nine members, including the leader, were arrested during a coordinated police operation. This effort was supported by the Greek Police’s Special Operations Unit (OPKE), specialized NGOs “OUR GREECE” and “A21,” and labor inspection officials.

A criminal organization involved in trafficking foreigners to exploit them for begging was been dismantled on Tuesday in Athens by the Organized Crime division.

The former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, and his British partner, Matthew Smith, have been arrested and face human trafficking charges, according to BBC sources. The two men were arrested Tuesday morning, along with an alleged accomplice who allegedly played the role of a middleman.

The Daily Mail reports on a joint operation conducted by British and Bulgarian authorities aimed at combating human trafficking across the English Channel. This collaboration resulted in the seizure of 125 inflatable boats, 128 engines, over 700 pumps, and 300 rubber rings, totaling 33 seizures of goods.

In a large-scale operation aimed at curbing migrant smuggling, Turkish security forces apprehended 84 migrant smugglers and 1,029 irregular migrants across 27 of the country's 81 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

The four-day operation, titled "Shield-27," was announced by Yerlikaya, who emphasized the government's determination to combat human trafficking.

Todor Batkov, owner of a worker import agency, discussed the growing issue of illegal human trafficking through Bulgaria in an appearance on Nova TV. Batkov highlighted that Bulgaria is becoming a significant hotspot for illegal trafficking operations aimed at Western Europe.

A Romanian court has decided to place Andrew Tate under house arrest, as confirmed by his representative late last night, according to Reuters. The popular social media influencer, who holds both British and American citizenship, is currently being investigated for human trafficking and sexual exploitation.