195 arrested in vast international human trafficking sweep

Paris: Interpol says police in Africa and Europe arrested 195 people and rescued nearly 500 victims of human trafficking in a vast crackdown on criminal networks led by the France-based international law enforcement agency.

Interpol said in a statement on Friday that Morocco hosted the March 28-April 2 operation, which involved 24 countries exchanging intelligence and support from the International Organization for Migration and other international groups.

The 195 people arrested were accused of human trafficking, migrant smuggling, document fraud, drug offenses or other crimes.

Interpol said they included people in Sudan suspected of trafficking migrants and exploiting children in factories, people in Spain suspected of smuggling Africans to Europe, and Chinese citizens in South Africa suspected of exploiting Malawian migrants.