Police prevent attempted human trafficking

Sunday, 03 June 2012

Cambodian Police arrested two males at the Thai-Cambodian border; the two Cambodian Nationals werecharged with attempting to traffick 9 people, 3 of them being underage. They are currently in pre-trial detention awaiting a court date. Police were on alert to the signs of recruitment for the purpose of trafficking due to encountering high ongoing trafficking activity in the area; so when the two men hired a vehicle in Battambang on route to Thailand they aroused suspicion.

It was soon discovered that the offenders were attempting to traffick the group into Thailand promising good work and pay. It has been revealed that the two offenders were acting as brokers for a trafficking syndicate in Thailand. It is alleged that the group was destined for bonded labor in Thailand’s illegal fishing industry, which if true, and based on many reports, could have seen the group of men, women and youth held by force in inhumane conditions, physically and sexually abused, their lives threatened and forced to work torturous hours in dangerous conditions while being given very little food and money*.

The Police made the arrests near the Thai-Cambodian Border. If the Police had not acted so proactively by stopping the group and arresting the offenders when they did and the traffickers were successful in their plan, it would have become extremely difficult to then track down and rescue these individuals once they had crossed the border, as countless Men, Women & Children every year provide testament to.

SISHA has a long standing relationship with the Police at Battambang, with 90 of their officers having successfully completed SISHA’s highly regarded Criminal Investigation Training course. This, along with a reputation for results, has established a high level of trust; a crucial component to developing a good working relationship. It is for this reason that Police feel comfortable contacting SISHA whenever they need further assistance with an investigation or feel that victims are in need of Aftercare or Legal support.

SISHA is happy to report that all 9 victims have returned safely to their home and SISHA will continue to follow them up and assist them any way we can. This is a good news story, one we much prefer to tell you about as many are not so lucky.

Over 20,000 Cambodians are trafficked to Thailand every year and forced into modern-day slavery. The poor and the disabled are particularly vulnerable to being exploited.

You can watch one family's harrowing experience here.

*Source: UNODC, 2011

YOU CAN HELP US DO MORE!

SUPPORT OUR WORK – SPREAD THE WORD – JOIN THE FIGHT!