In a significant step against sex trafficking, Greek authorities, with support from Our Rescue and nonprofit A21, dismantled a criminal trafficking organization in December of 2024.
The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime led the investigation, uncovering a network that had been operating since 2019. The traffickers targeted vulnerable women abroad, luring them to Greece with false promises of legal nightclub employment.
When they arrived, the women were forced into sex work and controlled through fear and lies. Their traffickers tricked them by making their travel costs seem much higher than they really were, trapping them in debt.
This network maintained control over the survivors in six apartments across Attica, as well as two nightclubs where they were exploited.
Our Rescue worked closely with police to assist with the operation logistics to make it as efficient as possible, helping Greek authorities rescue a greater number of survivors.
In a pre-dawn operation in December of 2024, police arrested nine individuals, including the network’s leader, and filed charges against two more. Confiscated evidence included €29,000 ($30,175.06) in cash, weapons, surveillance equipment, and forged documents, showing the criminal group’s sophistication and large operational scale. The arrested individuals are now facing prosecution under charges of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and illegal possession of documents and weapons.
The operation identified 29 survivors, all of whom received immediate care and protection. Our Rescue and A21 worked to ensure the survivors’ safety, offering resources and support to help them begin their healing journey.
We are grateful to collaborate with these dedicated law enforcement teams and survivor care professionals to make operations like this possible. We couldn’t do it without your support. Join the Fight today!