Forty people are facing prosecution after police raids in west and central Africa rescued nearly 500 victims of human trafficking, including a 16-year-old Nigerian girl, Interpol said on Thursday. Of the nearly 500 people rescued, 236 were children, Interpol said in an emailed statement. Those arrested are accused of forcing their victims into begging and prostitution and face charges including human trafficking, forced labour and child exploitation. Police inspector Yoro Traore, from Interpol in Mali’s capital, Bamako, said the operation — codenamed Epervier or Sparrowhawk — had been effective. “This operation has opened a number of ongoing investigations to further disrupt the crime networks involved in trafficking human beings,” he said.

Source: Punch November 23, 2017 17:03 UTC