The Nethlands Arrests 19 Human Traffickers Over Sex Slaves.

Police in the Netherlands have cracked a crime rin which allegedly trafficked Nigerian children into the west to work as sex slaves. At last 19 people were arrested in the Netherlands qnd five other countries including the united states and Britain.

Traffickers used voodoo to gain a hold over children before smuggling them abroad in a racket which exploited the asylum system, according to police. Scores of underage Nigerians, mainly girls, may have been trafficked. Dutch authorities had been investigating the disappearance of 104 Nigerian children from asylum seeker holding centres since January 2006. Several of the children were later found working as prostitudes in france, Italy and Spain, according to Dutch police.

Thirteen arrests were made in Dutch cities and towns while a further six people, all Nigerians, were detained in New York, Madrid, Dublin, Coventry and Antwerp. Trafficking in Nigeria is seen as an everyday part of west African life .police said Germany and france were also incolved in the operation but did not give details of any arrests there, though they said that ”dozen” of arrests and searchs of premises had been made overall.

Those arrested are suspected of pople-trafficking and involvedment in a criminal organization, falsifying travel documents, fraud and money-laundring. The Hague has asked for the suspects to the Netherlands. ”The human-traffickers supplied the victims with false travel documents, flight tickets and instructions to seek asylum upon arrival at schiphol Airport( Amsterdam),” a police statement said” The monors were placed in open shelters in the Netherlands which made it relatively easdy for the criminal organisation to keep control over the victims.

” Voodoo sometimes also kept the minors in line. In Nigeria they were forced to take a vow before a voodoo prist to repay a so-called debt. ” This debt had to be settled with the earnings made in the prostitution. At their final destination the minor victims are under the constant supervision of a so-called ” Madam”.