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Forty human traffickers arrested, 500 people rescued in West Africa

by Reuters
Thursday, 23 November 2017 15:50 GMT

In this file photo, migrants crossing the Sahara desert into Libya ride on the back of a pickup truck outside Agadez, Niger, May 9, 2016. Picture taken May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Joe Penney

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"They are accused of forcing victims to engage in activities ranging from begging to prostitution, with little to no regard for working conditions or human life"

PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Forty people were arrested and 500 people rescued after a swoop on human trafficking across West Africa, international police organisation Interpol said on Thursday.

The Interpol-led action comes amid a global outcry sparked by footage of Africans being solved as slaves in Libya, often the final transit for migrants wanting to reach Europe.

In a statement, Interpol said that some 500 people, including 236 minors, had been rescued in simultaneous operations across Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Forty suspected traffickers were arrested.

"The results of this operation underline the challenge faced by law enforcement and all stakeholders in addressing human trafficking in the Sahel region," said the operation's coordinator Innocentia Apovo.

The 40 arrested face prosecution for offences including human trafficking, forced labour and child exploitation.

"They are accused of forcing victims to engage in activities ranging from begging to prostitution, with little to no regard for working conditions or human life," the statement said.

(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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