Global police track human traffickers amid online crackdown

Police investigators from around the world joined forces last month in a digital operation to identify suspects and victims of human trafficking, Europol said.

The latest edition of the Police Department’s EMPACT hackathon saw the participation of 27 countries, including 19 EU Member States plus Albania, Brazil, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Led by police in Germany and the Netherlands, 76 experts met for four days to investigate clues about internet trafficking.

It focused on efforts to identify indicators of illegal online activity, such as the misuse of “legal business structures,” social networks, cryptocurrency and gaming platforms, Europol said.

In total, the researchers were able to:

• Monitor 252 entities, including platforms, individuals, usernames, locations, and phone numbers
• View 40 online platforms for sexual and labor exploitation and organ trafficking
• Identify 16 suspected human traffickers
• Identify 60 potential victims of human trafficking

One of researchers’ most shocking discoveries was a shady website where hundreds of human traffickers offer male and female victims for sale or rent.

Individuals are priced at $800-2000 per hour, based on age and “skills,” while “at home” boys or girls apparently retail for $20,000-$60,000.

Read more about human trafficking: Europolice targets gangs grooming Ukrainian refugees online

Researchers also sought to crack down on exploitation of Ukrainian victims, which has been going on since Russia’s invasion, and a disturbing new “criminal-as-a-service” development known as “e-pimping.”

Two online platforms investigated apparently offer ‘lifestyle courses’ and training for men who want to become OnlyFans managers. In fact, the goal is essentially to learn how to become an online pimp and exploit women, according to Europol.

Despite the very real physical suffering of the victims, human trafficking, like many other crimes, is often made possible through digital means.

In some parts of the world, victims of human trafficking are even employed as digital fraudsters.

In December 2023, Interpol announced that its Operation Storm Makers II initiative has led to the arrest of 281 individuals on suspicion of human trafficking, passport forgery, corruption, telecom fraud, sexual exploitation and other crimes.

Many of the 149 identified victims were lured to Southeast Asia by social media advertisements promising lucrative jobs. However, upon arrival they were forced to work for online fraud gangs.