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Brazilian police cracks down int'l human trafficking ring

Xinhua, February 16, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Brazilian federal police dismantled on Wednesday an international human trafficking network in Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceara.

In a statement, the police said that Operation Marguerita targeted a ring that sent Brazilian women to Slovenia and Italy, where they were forced into prostitution.

Involving 92 police officers, the operation was allegedly named after the main club where the victims were sexually exploited in Slovenia.

According to the statement, the ring was made up of "individuals responsible for recruiting, transporting, organizing trips abroad, housing and sexually exploiting the women in their countries of destination."

Police from Slovenia and Italy also participated in the operation.

While the victims travelled from Ceara, many of them came from other states, including Bahia, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, where police also carried out raids.

The police stated that the crime of international people smuggling is a "severe violation of human rights," especially considering the vulnerability of the victims, who went to Europe expecting dignified employment but were treated in degrading conditions.

The number of people arrested in the raids was not revealed but those responsible faced charges of international people smuggling with the aim of sexual exploitation, criminal association and money laundering, with jail terms of up to 25 years in prison. Enditem