Swiss help European police catch child traffickers
Europol in The Hague supported an operation by 17 countries including Switzerland.
Keystone
Switzerland has participated in a big operation by European police against human trafficking which resulted in the arrest of 70 people, according to Europol.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
“Europol supported a pan-European operation against trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation, forced begging and labour exploitation,” the European Union’s police cooperation body said in a press releaseExternal link on Friday. Overall results included 34 arrests for “trafficking of human beings” and 36 arrests for “other offences such as robbery, dissemination of child sexual exploitation material and facilitation of illegal immigration”.
More than 127,000 individuals, 63,800 vehicles and 1,100 locations were checked between 17 and 23 June 2019 across the participating countries, according to Europol. “Law enforcement authorities searched private properties, commercial establishments, hotels, buses and train stations, ferry ports, airports and border crossings”.
Pan-European collaboration also allowed identification of 206 potential victims, 53 of which were confirmed to be minors. These activities “enabled the initiation of 31 new cases of human trafficking across the different participating countries”, says Europol.
The operation was led by the UK and included 15 EU countries plus Switzerland and Iceland.
More
More
Human trafficking remains a problem for Switzerland
This content was published on
Taken together with the 113 ongoing consultations from previous years, FIZ says the number of cases of women being trafficked into the country (many for prostitution) remains high. In 2017, FIZ provided support for 228 women. To combat the problem, FIZExternal link has joined forces with Church groups to provide better care for the victims. The Zurich-based entity will receive funding…
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
More Nigerian women and asylum seekers being trafficked
This content was published on
Last year, the proportion of human trafficking victims who are also asylum seekers tripled in the Zurich region, according to a Swiss advocacy group’s annual report.
Thai woman jailed for running human trafficking ring
This content was published on
A Swiss court has sentenced a 58-year old Thai woman to more than ten years in jail in one of the biggest human trafficking cases in the country.
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court has acquitted a Romanian couple accused of trafficking Roma people who ended up begging.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.