This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_politics/7763031.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Major raids on human trafficking | Major raids on human trafficking |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 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 suspicion of organising and managing prostitution. | |
| A male foreign national 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. |
| Searches | |
| About 100 Garda officers raided nine suspected brothels across the Republic of Ireland. | |
| Searches were carried out in Cavan, Drogheda, Athlone, Mullingar, Sligo, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy, Newbridge and Waterford. | |
| The seven people arrested can be held for up to 24 hours before they are either charged or released. | |
| Gardai also raided a number of homes and offices in the Carlow area and it is understood a number of items were removed for forensic examination. |