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| Major raids on human trafficking | Major raids on human trafficking |
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| Searches have been carried out in Newry as part of a major international operation against human trafficking. | Searches have been carried out in Newry as part of a major international operation against human trafficking. |
| Members of the PSNI, An Garda Siochana and police in Wales carried out raids on Wednesday. | Members of the PSNI, An Garda Siochana and police in Wales carried out raids on Wednesday. |
| A 47-year-old Irish man and a 31-year-old South African woman were arrested in Pembrokeshire, Wales. | A 47-year-old Irish man and a 31-year-old South African woman were arrested in Pembrokeshire, Wales. |
| In the Republic of Ireland, four women and three men were arrested on on suspicion of organising and managing prostitution. | |
| A man arrested in Newry is being detained on suspicion of immigration offences. | A man arrested in Newry is being detained on suspicion of immigration offences. |
| The PSNI said the operation began last year as a result of inquiries being made during Operation Pentameter 2 into human trafficking. | The PSNI said the operation began last year as a result of inquiries being made during Operation Pentameter 2 into human trafficking. |
| Since then, a number of covert inquiries have been conducted at several locations in Northern Ireland being used as brothels by an organised crime gang through the internet, police said. | Since then, a number of covert inquiries have been conducted at several locations in Northern Ireland being used as brothels by an organised crime gang through the internet, police said. |
| Victims | Victims |
| The PSNI said it believed "it has identified at least eight women who were trafficked into Ireland (north and south) and then forced into prostitution". | The PSNI said it believed "it has identified at least eight women who were trafficked into Ireland (north and south) and then forced into prostitution". |
| Police said seven of these victims had been rescued from brothels and that the women were vulnerable and had been "trafficked mostly from non-EU countries". | Police said seven of these victims had been rescued from brothels and that the women were vulnerable and had been "trafficked mostly from non-EU countries". |
| Detective Chief Superintendent Essie Adair, head of the PSNI's organised crime squad, said there had even been activity in South Africa in relation to the operation. | Detective Chief Superintendent Essie Adair, head of the PSNI's organised crime squad, said there had even been activity in South Africa in relation to the operation. |
| "This cross-border, inter-continental element has been brought about because we believe this gang was using mobile phones and the internet to run its operations which involved human trafficking, controlling prostitution and money laundering," he said. | "This cross-border, inter-continental element has been brought about because we believe this gang was using mobile phones and the internet to run its operations which involved human trafficking, controlling prostitution and money laundering," he said. |
| They will now be trying to identify all assets suspected to be the proceeds of crime with a view to subsequent confiscation proceedings. | They will now be trying to identify all assets suspected to be the proceeds of crime with a view to subsequent confiscation proceedings. |