News
Immigration crime remains priority - Goggins
Date Posted: Wednesday 02 July 2008
There is no evidence that human trafficking is a major problem in Northern Ireland, chair of the Organised Crime Task Force Paul Goggins MP has said.
The minister has welcomed the report published today by the Home Office on Pentameter 2 which revealed that there were five people in Northern Ireland believed to be the victims of human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation and six suspects arrested during the operation.
Despite this relatively low figure compared to the rest of the UK, Paul Goggins has said that organised immigration crime remains a priority for the OCTF.
He said: “The law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland are committed to working hard to stop the horror of human trafficking for sexual and other types of exploitation.
“While the numbers are relatively low compared to the rest of the UK, any incidence of this type of crime is one too many because of the brutality, misery and suffering it causes to innocent victims.
“We will continue to support victims while closing down the criminal networks who seek to profit from this modern form of slavery.
“The OCTF Immigration Crime and Human Trafficking Expert Group will continue to work to improve co-operation and effectiveness between partner agencies to ensure that it can play its part in tackling this problem. Organised immigration crime will remain an OCTF priority.
“While the Pentameter 2 initiative is now completed it has been an extremely useful exercise in increasing our knowledge of human trafficking.”
Notes to Editors
·Pentameter 2 was a national multi-agency campaign of activity to gauge and tackle the trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation and forced labour throughout the UK.
·Pentameter 2 was established on 3rd October 2007 and was led in NI by the PSNI who worked within a national framework in partnership with other agencies represented on the OCTF.
