Europol coordinated a joint action day between the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal) and the Irish National Police and Security Service (An Garda Síochána) against a criminal network involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation of victims originating from South America.
Active in Ireland and across several EU Member States, the criminal network, composed mainly of Brazilian nationals, is suspected of having exploited several hundreds of victims. The criminal network is also investigated for forgery of documents, money laundering and other financial and economic crimes. The investigation was carried out within the framework of a Europol Operational Taskforce.
- 33 house searches (29 in Brazil and 4 in Ireland)
- 8 arrests (4 in Brazil and 4 in Ireland including the main organiser)
- 28 victims originating from South America already identified prior to the actions, with work ongoing to identify the others
- Seizures include at least 6 high-end vehicles, multiple bank accounts, luxury watches, one crypto wallet with at least EUR 50 0000, digital equipment and documents.
A probe into an individual suspected of being involved in sexual exploitation led to the uncovering of a larger well-structured criminal network spread across borders. Active since 2017, this network operated from Brazil and Ireland, is believed to have been involved in the recruitment, transportation, accommodation, advertisement and overall control of female victims from South America.
The women, often threatened with violence, were exploited sexually in multiple countries around the world including Ireland. Investigators estimate that the criminal activities have generated several million euros in illegal profits. Investigative activities are still on-going.
Europol coordinated the operational activities, facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support. Europol deployed two experts, one in Brazil and one in Ireland, to cross-check operational information in real time and support investigators on the ground with technical expertise.
