Costa Rican security forces took part in a police operation aimed at apprehending individuals believed to be connected to an international human-trafficking network that operates between Ecuador and the United States. The operation took place in San Jose, Costa Rica, on August 6, 2024, as reported by Reuters.

A recent United Nations report highlights that human trafficking has surged significantly due to ongoing conflicts, climate-related disasters, and global crises. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the number of known victims worldwide increased by 25% in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The sharp decline observed in 2020 had mostly reversed by 2021.

The report emphasizes that criminals are increasingly exploiting people for forced labor, including compelling them to engage in sophisticated online scams and cyberfraud. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and gender-based violence. Organized crime groups are primarily responsible for these activities.

Children made up 38% of the detected victims, a rise from the 35% recorded in 2020, which was the basis for the previous report. Adult women remained the largest group of victims, accounting for 39% of cases, followed by men at 23%, girls at 22%, and boys at 16%. The total number of victims identified in 2022 was 69,627.

Sexual exploitation was the most common reason for trafficking women and girls, representing over 60% of cases, followed by forced labor. For men, forced labor was the primary reason, while for boys, it was a mix of forced labor and other purposes, such as forced criminality and begging. The increase in boys identified as victims could be linked to the rising number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Europe and North America.

Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of victims, accounting for 26% of the total, though trafficking routes are diverse. While improved detection methods may explain part of the increase, the report suggests that a rise in trafficking overall is also likely. The regions experiencing the most significant increases in detected cases were sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and western and southern Europe, with migration influxes playing a crucial role in the latter two regions.

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