Interpol has arrested 219 people, including from Switzerland

According to the international police organization Interpol, 219 suspects have been arrested in 39 countries in an international operation against human trafficking. The Interpol website lists the countries where the arrests were made. This includes Switzerland.

During the investigation, Interpol said on Monday that 1,374 potential victims were identified, including 153 children. The operation between June 3 and 9 was led by Austria and coordinated by Romania, EU police authority Europol, EU border protection agency Frontex and Interpol.

According to the report, one of those arrested was a couple accused of “sexually exploiting their six children and forcing them to beg on the streets” in Hungary.

A man suspected of tricking 14 Vietnamese men into engaging in fraudulent online activities for up to 14 hours a day by promising them good salaries has been arrested in Laos.

Authorities also struck in Ukraine: Ukrainian national police dismantled an organized crime ring that targeted vulnerable people and identified three suspects who controlled a dozen victims and forced them to beg. In another case, authorities arrested a man suspected of forcing a disabled person into a fake marriage. The victim was protected by Ukrainian authorities.

Interpol announced that it had opened 276 new investigations and identified 362 suspects as a result of the raids.