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| New crackdown on sex trafficking | New crackdown on sex trafficking |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A crackdown on human trafficking has been launched by police forces across Britain and the Irish Republic. | |
| It aims to rescue women and children forced to work in the sex industry and prosecute gangs who are profiting. | It aims to rescue women and children forced to work in the sex industry and prosecute gangs who are profiting. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the operation would give a clearer picture of the scale of this "secret" crime. | Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the operation would give a clearer picture of the scale of this "secret" crime. |
| Campaigners said the government had not committed enough funding to tackle the growing problem but Ms Smith said it had invested "significant resources". | Campaigners said the government had not committed enough funding to tackle the growing problem but Ms Smith said it had invested "significant resources". |
| The operation, Codenamed Pentameter 2, involves all 55 police forces in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and the dedicated UK Human Trafficking Centre in Sheffield. | |
| BBC correspondent Danny Shaw said three people had been rescued since the operation began on Monday with dozens more expected to follow. | |
| Two hundred years after we banned the trade in slavery in Parliament in the UK, it's shocking that this is still going on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith Quick Guide: trafficking | |
| The first Operation Pentameter in 2006 freed 84 women and teenage girls from brothels and massage parlours and led to 232 arrests. | The first Operation Pentameter in 2006 freed 84 women and teenage girls from brothels and massage parlours and led to 232 arrests. |
| It also led to the creation of the Human Trafficking Centre. | It also led to the creation of the Human Trafficking Centre. |
| Gloucestershire Chief Constable Dr Tim Brain said the new initiative would aim to gather intelligence as well as enforce the law and rescue victims. | Gloucestershire Chief Constable Dr Tim Brain said the new initiative would aim to gather intelligence as well as enforce the law and rescue victims. |
| "A lot of it is intelligence gathering for now and for the future," he told BBC's Breakfast. | "A lot of it is intelligence gathering for now and for the future," he told BBC's Breakfast. |
| "So it's to improve our picture but equally at the same time to ensure that we go after these gang masters, the people who are exploiting the women, and bring them to justice." | "So it's to improve our picture but equally at the same time to ensure that we go after these gang masters, the people who are exploiting the women, and bring them to justice." |
| Profitable | |
| He said: "It's a secret crime so nobody has a real idea of just how big it is, but the indications are that it is growing. | He said: "It's a secret crime so nobody has a real idea of just how big it is, but the indications are that it is growing. |
| "It's a very profitable crime for the criminals who work these women. We expect it to grow unless we do something about it. | |
| The home secretary said recent research suggested 4,000 women in the country were working in areas of sexual exploitation and may have been trafficked. | The home secretary said recent research suggested 4,000 women in the country were working in areas of sexual exploitation and may have been trafficked. |
| However she said there was no evidence to show it was a worsening problem. | However she said there was no evidence to show it was a worsening problem. |
| 2006 OPERATION PENTAMETER 84 women and teen girls freed232 people arrested515 premises visitedWomen sold for £500-£8,000 | |
| Women and children were being trafficked from in and outside Europe, and within the UK too, she said. | Women and children were being trafficked from in and outside Europe, and within the UK too, she said. |
| "Two hundred years after we banned the trade in slavery in Parliament in the UK, it's shocking that this is still going on," she said. | "Two hundred years after we banned the trade in slavery in Parliament in the UK, it's shocking that this is still going on," she said. |
| At Wednesday's launch, Ms Smith said she could not give any guarantees that victims of trafficking would not be deported after being rescued. | |
| The police are asking members of the public to play a part too by reporting any suspicious behaviour to local police. | The police are asking members of the public to play a part too by reporting any suspicious behaviour to local police. |
| Chief Constable Brain said: "They often will have information or suspicions. They will feel uneasy about some premises, some women they see, maybe somebody who is next to them on the plane as they are coming in." | Chief Constable Brain said: "They often will have information or suspicions. They will feel uneasy about some premises, some women they see, maybe somebody who is next to them on the plane as they are coming in." |
| A new telephone information line has been set up to give advice to immigration staff and social workers attempting to identify victims of trafficking. | |
| Aidan McQuade, of Anti-Slavery International, has called on the government to commit to ensuring sufficient resources are made available to deal with the problem. | Aidan McQuade, of Anti-Slavery International, has called on the government to commit to ensuring sufficient resources are made available to deal with the problem. |
| Have you been affected by this story? Send us your comments. | Have you been affected by this story? Send us your comments. |