Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE is among 119 countries participating in a major global anti-human trafficking operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), which has so far led to the safeguarding of more than 4 400 potential victims and the detection of nearly 13 000 irregular migrants worldwide.
The operation, code-named Operation Liberterra III, has resulted in the arrest of 3 744 suspects, including more than 1 800 individuals linked to human trafficking and migrant smuggling offences, according to preliminary reports from participating countries.
During the operation, law enforcement agencies deployed more than 14 000 officers, conducted hotspot surveillance and targeted raids, and reinforced border controls across key transit and destination points.
Authorities also opened more than 720 new investigations, many of which are still ongoing.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said the scale of enforcement action reflected strong international cooperation, but warned that criminal networks were rapidly adapting.
“The level of enforcement action highlights strong cooperation, but the wider trends revealed are just as important,” he said.
“Criminal networks are evolving, exploiting new routes, digital platforms and vulnerable populations.
“Identifying these patterns allows law enforcement to anticipate threats, disrupt networks earlier and better protect victims.”
Interpol said several key trends emerged during the operation.
Trafficking-fuelled scam schemes remain a serious concern in parts of Asia and Africa, although improved intelligence-sharing, screening and detection mechanisms have led to more arrests and the repatriation of hundreds of victims.
While sexual exploitation continues to be widely reported, authorities noted a rise in forced labour and forced criminality, with cases of domestic servitude and organ removal also detected.
Interpol said incidents involving victims from the Americas and Asia being trafficked into Africa signal shifting trafficking dynamics, contrasting with historical patterns where African victims were largely trafficked abroad.
The organisation also reported changing migration flows, particularly in the Americas, where South American nationals are now travelling southward through Central America.
Pressure remains high along Atlantic and Mediterranean maritime routes, especially from West and North Africa toward Europe, while online platforms are increasingly being used to recruit, monitor and exploit victims.
Interpol further noted that human trafficking and migrant smuggling remain closely linked to other serious crimes, including document fraud, money laundering and drug trafficking.
To support real-time checks against Interpol databases, intelligence-sharing and the issuing of Interpol Notices, four operational coordination units were established in Algeria, El Salvador, Lao PDR and the United Kingdom.
The operation also benefited from extensive collaboration with national authorities, partner organisations and non-governmental organisations.
In Africa, law enforcement agencies in Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone reported significant action against pyramid-style human trafficking networks.
These operations led to the rescue of more than 200 victims and the disruption of multiple recruitment and exploitation hubs.
Interpol said such schemes, which are prevalent in parts of Central and West Africa, typically involve recruiting victims under false promises of employment abroad, charging excessive recruitment fees and later coercing victims into recruiting friends or relatives in exchange for better conditions.
Zimbabwe is both a source and transit country for human trafficking, with victims often recruited through false promises of employment, education or marriage.
Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, while men and boys are frequently trafficked for forced labour in agriculture, mining and informal trading sectors.
Experts say participation in operations such as Liberterra III strengthens Zimbabwe’s capacity to disrupt trafficking networks, protect victims and respond to evolving transnational crime trends.
