100 Cops in Niger Rescue 232 Victims of Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has announced that 232 victims of sex trafficking and forced labor have been rescued in Niamey, Niger following a major operation involving 100 police officers.

“Operation Sarraounia has shed much light on several criminal groups and trafficking routes,” says Barka Dankassoua, head of the Interpol National Central Bureau in Niamey, in a statement. “The skills our officers have learned will be put to good use as we follow up on a number of leads.”

Operation Sarraounia involved ten days of raids, according to Interpol, saving victims which include 46 children – with girls as young as 10 years of age – forced into sex work as well as 180 Ghanaian men forced into enslaved labor. 18 suspected traffickers were additionally arrested.