AN undercover operation targeting people traffickers was mounted in Huddersfield.
And a series of raids across the town led to three women and a man being arrested in connection with a ‘substantial’ people trafficking operation.
UK Border Agency officers carried out simultaneous raids at business premises in Hillhouse, Lockwood and Birkby as part of their investigations.
Officers in unmarked cars and vans waited at the properties for the occupants to open up yesterday morning before carrying out the arrests.
Raids were carried out at Haq Sanderson, Hillhouse Lane, Hillhouse; Ezaah Tailorz, Lockwood and Ezaah Boutiques, Blacker Road, Birkby.
Three homes in Huddersfield were also raided along with a house in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Det Insp Adrian Watkins said: “We have arrested four people who we believe are part of an organised crime group involved in the trafficking of people from Pakistan to the UK.
“These individuals have now been taken into custody for questioning.
“Human trafficking is an extremely serious crime which exploits some of society’s most vulnerable people.
“The UK Border Agency will not hesitate in taking the strongest possible against those involved.”
The women aged 35, 37 and 55, and the man were taken to police stations across Yorkshire for questioning.
West Yorkshire Police assisted with the operation which was described as ‘substantial’ by Border officials.
They believe the operation may result in helping as many as 10 victims who have been labour trafficked to the UK.
The raid in Hillhouse Lane caused little disturbance to residents and workers who were oblivious to the major operation taking place in their community.
The UK Border Agency’s Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) Team is a specialist unit of seconded police officers working alongside warranted UK Border Agency officers to investigate crime and disorder.
Yesterday’s operations involved 31 officers from the CFI team.
The number of people being trafficked into the UK is rising, latest Government estimates suggest.
Last year the authorities learned of 946 victims, compared with 710 in 2010, the inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking said.
Trafficking gangs in China, Vietnam, Nigeria and eastern Europe now pose the biggest threat to the UK, it said.
The government said better co-ordination between its departments and with authorities abroad was key.
THE operation in Huddersfield comes as human trafficking is rising, according to latest Government estimates.
Last year the authorities learned of 946 victims, compared with 710 in 2010, the inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking said.
Many victims are promised jobs in the hotel or leisure industry, or as interpreters, but when they arrive they are “groomed or threatened” and used for exploitation, forced into labour or sexual practices.
There is currently no official figure for the number of victims trafficked into the country each year.
However, a report produced by the National Referral Mechanism, the official body that identifies and looks after those caught up in trafficking, said 712 adult victims and 234 child victims were reported last year.
The report revealed the largest number of referrals of potential victims of trafficking were Nigerian nationals.
From within Europe, Romanian nationals were the biggest group referred.
Immigration minister Mark Harper said the results demonstrated UK professionals were getting better at “spotting” the crime due to “cross-government” co-operation.
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