|
Human trafficking is big business in Turkey
June 9, 2005
Ankara - Omer Aydin, deputy chief of a police division specialized in combating
smuggling and organized crime, noted that human trafficking was an extremely
lucrative business.
“Police discovered $1 billion that was traced back to revenue from human
trafficking in an Istanbul bank account tied to an organized crime gang as a
result of an international sting operation,” he said, speaking to the press
during a conference on “International Police Cooperation in the Fight against
Migrant Smuggling” held in Antalya.
Aydin said the police have captured 250 smuggled persons and 100 dealers as a
result of three operations launched over the last two years.
Aydin highlighted the importance of cooperation between countries in the fight
against human trafficking.
“While combating human trafficking, it's impossible to rely on methods used
against other forms of organized crime because of the nature of the offense.
First of all, the safety of the smuggled persons needs to be ensured and the
gang members really should be captured. These points, along with the fact that
it is a crime that crosses borders and legal systems, challenges law
enforcement to go beyond the conventional and orchestrate a collaborative
effort where information is gained and shared,” he said.
Turkey is on target
Aydin said Turkey was traditionally a main transit country in migrant smuggling
and human trafficking but stressed that Turkey has now become a preferred
destination by illegal immigrants in recent years.
Drawing attention to an increase in the number of illegal immigrants coming to
Turkey from other countries, Aydin said there were people who came to Turkey
from underdeveloped and poor countries where war and chaos reign.
The international conference, attended by representatives of police
organizations and armed forces from 16 countries including China, Iran, Egypt,
Pakistan and Bangladesh, ended yesterday.
Turkish Daily News
Comment on this story,
click here.
Copyright 1999-2004, AsianSexGazette.com. All rights reserved. No
content may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission.
Please contact us via the link below for re-print and syndication policies.
|
|
 |
