LONDON.— Cases of human trafficking in the UK including slavery and other forms of exploitation have reached 2,700, according to a report by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
According to the organization, the majority of the victims come from Romania, followed by Poland and the UK itself.
The agency reported that human trafficking doesn’t always include the crossing of international borders.
According to the NCA website, links with the majority of victims are established via the internet, on online or job recruitment sites.
Of the total number of people reported, more than 600 are children, many of whom suffered sexual exploitation.
Other cases include adults forced into prostitution or to work in precarious conditions, subjected to domestic servitude or forced to commit crimes, such as faking their identity to get public benefits.
According to Liam Vernon, head of the NCA human trafficking team, the criminals see their victims as cattle, to be bought and sold to the highest bidder.
The UK government is planning to propose a new law against modern slavery, which carries the maximum punishment of a life sentence for the most serious cases. The law should be approved before the general elections scheduled for May 2015, stated Vernon. (PL)
