Police in Ivory Coast Pledge to Fight Trafficking, Start by Freeing 137 Children

A major operation conducted this month in the Ivory Coast has seen 137 children rescued from forced labor and sex work – with police pledging to boost efforts to stop child trafficking.

The operation – the first of its kind since at least 2017 – took place in the town of Aboisso and follows a new national action plan against child labor implemented last summer, says police superintendent Zaka Luc, adding, “We are going to multiply this kind of operation.”

The police thoroughly searched vehicles, cocoa plantations and nearby villages, arresting twelve traffickers and rescuing children aged between six and seventeen. According to a statement issued by the government, the victims came from neighboring West African countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Togo.