UK Border Agency Arrests Six People Over Suspicion of Human Trafficking

Reports now show that six people have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking in the North East. Officers from the UK Border Agency North East immigration crime team were called to North Shields Ferry Terminal last Friday after the staff identified a 15-year-old Armenian girl who had arrived on the ferry from Holland. She had been attempting to enter the UK using a Latvian passport.

Traveling with the girl were two Armenian men, age 25 and 49, and two Latvian women, age 33 and 26. These four adults were bound for Manchester and were all arrested on suspicion of human trafficking offenses. Two other Armenian men, age 19 and 30, both from the Manchester area, were later arrested on suspicion of trafficking following further investigation.

All of the people who were arrested have now been released on bail. The girl remains in the care of local authorities for the time being. Detective Inspector Graham Brown, of the North East immigration crime team, said that the safety and well being of the young girl is of paramount importance to all the agencies involved in the investigation.

He went on to say that trafficking and facilitation are serious offenses in the UK, which often involve young and vulnerable members of the international community. The UK Border Agency, working with the North East Police forces, now have a formidable team to investigate and detect such criminality.

Had these people not been caught, it is not sure what would have happened to the young 15-year-old Armenia girl. It is likely that she would have been forced into teen prostitution or forced to marry. The UK is attempting to crack down on human trafficking and other emigration offenses.