{Rwandan security agents have arrested at least 150 people in connection with kidnapping young girls and forcing them into prostitution in several countries across the world since the operation began earlier this year, police sources revealed Wednesday in Kigali.}
The police declaration comes a few months after the Rwandan President Paul Kagame tasked top government officials to swiftly initiate measures to end a seemingly growing trend of trafficking in young Rwandan girls.
“Human trafficking, particularly for cheap labor and sexual exploitation, is growing in Europe and several south Asian countries, the head of Interpol-Rwanda, Chief Superintendent Tony Kuramba told reporters in Kigali.
According to Kuramba, there have been indications of syndicates operating in the sub-region involved in smuggling people across borders, particularly women, for prostitution and cheap labour.
He said the Rwandan police had launched a crackdown on the human trafficking syndicates, with the assistance of Interpol whereby at least nine people have been arrested accused of involvement in such act.
“Although there are no organised syndicates that we know of at the moment, we know that there is human smuggling and that is why we are investigating and trying to put a stop to that,” Kuramba said.
Furthermore, Kuramba disclosed that people being smuggled in some European and south Asian countries were being trafficked by syndicates, which he noted were growing in sophistication.
“This practice (human smuggling) involves sophisticated syndicates who take advantage of vulnerable women in the region and some Asian countries,” he said.
“The trafficking for sexual exploitation is more pronounced in South Asian countries mainly because it has a ready market because of its strong economy,” he pointed out.
However, it is also said that neighboring Uganda is a source and destination country for Rwandan women subjected to forced prostitution.
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