by Kevin Holst | agapewebsite.org
This past September, Cambodian law enforcement and the AIM SWAT Team learned from the International Organization of Migration that over 100 Cambodian men were being forced to work on fishing boats off the coast of Somalia. The victims were poorly treated, worked in abusive conditions, and were paid very little, if at all.
In the past four months, 50 of the victims have been rescued out of Somali waters and repatriated back to Cambodia. These men were led to safety in Cambodia by Toha, a survivor who now works on the SWAT Team as a social worker (as seen in the above picture).
After helpful interviews with each victim, two suspects were arrested and charged with human trafficking related crimes.
One was arrested in the Battambang province while the other was arrested in the Banteay Meanchey province on January 11. Both made partial confessions of their crimes and now await their trial from behind bars while being charged with crimes of human trafficking.
The AIM legal team will represent the victims in this trial free of charge. AIM continues to work with the police to provide aftercare and employment for each of these brave men and repatriate the remaining victims. This rescue operation was made possible with the support from Operation Underground Railroad.
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