Cyprus Police identify five victims of labour exploitation in joint Europol operations

The Cyprus Police have identified five individuals as victims of labour exploitation during control operations conducted under Europol’s coordination across Europe in April. Evidence emerged from these checks, leading to the identification of two cases of labour exploitation and the arrest of one individual for further investigation.

These joint European operations, coordinated by Europol, took place between April 20-27, aiming to combat labour exploitation offenses. In Cyprus, the Anti-Trafficking Office of the Police Headquarters, assisted by inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance, carried out inspections at seven locations, checking a total of 43 individuals.

Information gathered during these inspections led to the identification of five victims, who were subsequently relocated to a safe residence with the cooperation of the Social Welfare Services. The police arrested one person in connection with labour exploitation offenses, and the case has been brought before the District Court of Nicosia for immediate adjudication. The investigation into a second labour exploitation case, uncovered during the joint European action, is ongoing.

Europol reported that during these joint operations, 334 potential victims were identified, and 51 individuals were arrested across the participating countries.

A total of 31 countries took part in these operations, including the Netherlands, France, Italy, Romania, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The coordination of these operations was managed by Europol and the European Labor Authority (ELA).