An Garda Sochána and Interpol participated in a huge, multi-agency operation last month that targeted human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and forced begging.
Operation Global Chain, which took place between May 8 and May 12, was supported by Garda as well as other international law enforcement agencies. It was coordinated by Inerpol and was in charge of Frontex, the European border agency.
While surveillance was also done at Dublin and Cork airports and Dublin Port, where officials spoke to a number of potential victims of human trafficking, other locations in the Irish counties of Monaghan, Louth, and Dublin were examined.
Gardaí said a number of women were identified as working in the sex industry and were provided with information on the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit and the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit.
Gardaí stated that further work would be done to protect victims of human trafficking, and the force will continue to collaborate closely with Europol on this issue.