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Nigerians among 64 people rescued from sex trafficking, forced labour in Mali
Some Nigerians have been rescued by the International Police (INTERPOL) from human traffickers in Mali.
The Nigerians were among the 64 people from different countries rescued by the INTERPOL in what was described as a coordinated operation in the country, a report on INTERPOL’s website said in Friday.
The report said: “The victims, mostly women and girls, were rescued from sexual exploitation, forced labour in the mining sector and forced begging.”
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The “Operation Horonya” (‘freedom’ in Bambara language), took place from October 3 to 11 to support the Malian authorities in identifying and dismantling the criminal groups operating in the country and more widely across the region.
Raids were also conducted at known trafficking and smuggling hotspots in the country.
It added: “The nearly 70 victims identified and rescued came from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali; and were working in bars, homes and mining sites. Among them were three young boys rescued from an illegally operated Koranic school, where they were allegedly forced to beg for money.”
The report also indicated that four suspected traffickers have been detained awaiting sentencing while Investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects.
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