Interpol has made more than 200 arrests as part of an international operation to bring down criminal smuggling networks, and warned human traffickers are exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic.
The one-week op, named Operation Turquesa II, saw officials in 32 countries conduct more than 50,000 checks. The massive crackdown lead to the identification of around 3,500 irregular migrants and the detention of over 200 people linked to migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock warned that the operation “shows how organized crime groups continue to take advantage of vulnerable people seeking a better life, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assisted the operation, with the group’s Executive Director, Ghada Waly, stating that its success reflects the importance of teamwork between various agencies.
Earlier in December, Interpol had warned that criminals are planning to “infiltrate or disrupt supply chains” during distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
“It is essential that law enforcement is as prepared as possible for what will be an onslaught of all types of criminal activity linked to the Covid-19 vaccine, which is why Interpol has issued this global warning,” Stock added back then.
Russia and the UK have recently started vaccination against the deadly coronavirus, using Sputnik-V and Pfizer/BioNtech jabs respectively.
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