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| Police boost people trade fight | Police boost people trade fight |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A dedicated police unit aimed at cracking down on human trafficking to London has been launched. | A dedicated police unit aimed at cracking down on human trafficking to London has been launched. |
| Many of those trafficked to the UK are women lured with promises of jobs who are then forced to work in brothels. | Many of those trafficked to the UK are women lured with promises of jobs who are then forced to work in brothels. |
| The new team will be the first specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police to tackle the organised criminal networks behind the trafficking. | The new team will be the first specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police to tackle the organised criminal networks behind the trafficking. |
| The 11-strong unit will also work with charities and voluntary groups to help victims. | The 11-strong unit will also work with charities and voluntary groups to help victims. |
| It is estimated thousands of women and men, many from Eastern Europe and the Far East, have been trafficked to the UK to work in the sex trade and other forms of forced labour, such as on farms. | It is estimated thousands of women and men, many from Eastern Europe and the Far East, have been trafficked to the UK to work in the sex trade and other forms of forced labour, such as on farms. |
| Police admit though that the true scale of the problem is unclear. | Police admit though that the true scale of the problem is unclear. |
| 'Hugely lucrative' | 'Hugely lucrative' |
| The Met's Detective Superintendent Mark Pointing described trafficking as "a hugely lucrative business" with women being sold for as much as £8,000. | The Met's Detective Superintendent Mark Pointing described trafficking as "a hugely lucrative business" with women being sold for as much as £8,000. |
| The new unit, he said, will therefore focus on the financial activities of the traffickers, for example, by disrupting money laundering operations. | The new unit, he said, will therefore focus on the financial activities of the traffickers, for example, by disrupting money laundering operations. |
| "We want to transfer the fear from the victims, and that fear is enormous, to the networks themselves, so they know there's a unit out there targeting them," he said. | "We want to transfer the fear from the victims, and that fear is enormous, to the networks themselves, so they know there's a unit out there targeting them," he said. |
| They are duped and coerced with promises of a much better life Commander Sue Wilkinson href="/1/hi/uk/6427203.stm">One woman's experience | |
| The team's officers come from various backgrounds including the clubs and vice unit, a murder squad, a kidnap unit and London's Heathrow airport. | The team's officers come from various backgrounds including the clubs and vice unit, a murder squad, a kidnap unit and London's Heathrow airport. |
| The team will also aim to build greater trust with victims themselves. | The team will also aim to build greater trust with victims themselves. |
| Commander Sue Wilkinson said: "These people have a really torrid time of it," "They are duped and coerced with promises of a much better life, a good job, a good marriage, and they really don't know better most of them." | Commander Sue Wilkinson said: "These people have a really torrid time of it," "They are duped and coerced with promises of a much better life, a good job, a good marriage, and they really don't know better most of them." |
| 'Trauma' | 'Trauma' |
| Ideally, victims would go on to testify against their captors in court, but in reality this can be difficult to achieve. | Ideally, victims would go on to testify against their captors in court, but in reality this can be difficult to achieve. |
| Operation Pentameter, run last year to combat sex trafficking, rescued 84 women across the UK, but did not result in as many prosecutions as police had hoped. | Operation Pentameter, run last year to combat sex trafficking, rescued 84 women across the UK, but did not result in as many prosecutions as police had hoped. |
| Sex trafficking in the UK Women can be sold for £6-8,000She can earn her captors as much as £800 a day from sex workThe youngest girl discovered so far was 14 | Sex trafficking in the UK Women can be sold for £6-8,000She can earn her captors as much as £800 a day from sex workThe youngest girl discovered so far was 14 |
| Det Supt Pointing said: "You have to remember the trauma and difficulties of the victims. | Det Supt Pointing said: "You have to remember the trauma and difficulties of the victims. |
| "Yes, there was some loss (from Pentameter) in terms of convictions, but that shouldn't be a deterrent to the work that's being undertaken." | "Yes, there was some loss (from Pentameter) in terms of convictions, but that shouldn't be a deterrent to the work that's being undertaken." |
| And he added that British men who use prostitutes are "key partners" who can provide information about women at risk. | And he added that British men who use prostitutes are "key partners" who can provide information about women at risk. |
| The unit, funded by the Home Office, has also launched a fact-finding mission to Lithuania, one of the key source countries for people trafficked to the UK. | The unit, funded by the Home Office, has also launched a fact-finding mission to Lithuania, one of the key source countries for people trafficked to the UK. |
| Dr Igoris Bazylevas, from the Lithuanian Ministry of Information, said his country had fully recognised the problem of trafficking for the past five years. | Dr Igoris Bazylevas, from the Lithuanian Ministry of Information, said his country had fully recognised the problem of trafficking for the past five years. |
| "Before the EU expansion, the best money could be made in Germany. When we joined the EU, better money was found in England," he added. | "Before the EU expansion, the best money could be made in Germany. When we joined the EU, better money was found in England," he added. |