Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, have rescued two Colombian women allegedly held captive by a human trafficking syndicate in Lagos.
The victims, identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, were rescued on Wednesday, August 26, following intelligence received from the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Bogotá, Colombia.
The Nigeria Police Force said the two women were allegedly lured to Nigeria through fraudulent arrangements before being deprived of their freedom by members of the trafficking syndicate.Their travel documents were reportedly confiscated after they arrived in the country.
Police launch covert operation to rescue victims
According to the Force, the operation followed an alert received by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Lagos from its counterpart in Bogotá concerning the whereabouts and safety of the Colombian nationals.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the NCB-INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, commenced a covert tracking operation to locate the victims.
The police team eventually traced the women to a hideout in Lagos and moved in to rescue them.
However, some Chinese nationals suspected to be connected with the trafficking operation reportedly fled the premises after sighting the approaching police operatives.
The suspects allegedly abandoned the two women at the location and remain at large.
The Nigeria Police Force said efforts had been intensified to identify, track and arrest the fleeing suspects and other members of the alleged syndicate.
Colombian victims receiving support
The rescued women are currently in safe custody and are receiving necessary assistance from relevant authorities.
The police said the Colombian Embassy in Accra, Ghana, is collaborating with the NCB-INTERPOL to arrange temporary hotel accommodation for the victims and facilitate the issuance of emergency travel documents.
The arrangements are expected to enable the women to return safely to Bogotá, Colombia.
The police did not disclose details of how the victims were recruited or the specific promises allegedly made to persuade them to travel to Nigeria, saying investigations into the case are ongoing.
Police strengthen international cooperation
The latest rescue operation underscores the importance of international cooperation in tackling human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
The Nigeria Police Force said its INTERPOL bureau maintains collaboration with law enforcement agencies in other countries to facilitate intelligence sharing, investigations and the recovery of victims of cross-border crimes.
Reaffirming the Force’s commitment to combating transnational organised crime, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the police would continue to strengthen cooperation with international law-enforcement partners.
Disu also reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to protecting lives and property and ensuring that Nigeria does not become a safe haven for criminal networks involved in human trafficking and other cross-border offences.
Police seek information on fleeing suspectsThe statement announcing the rescue was issued on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu.
Iniedu described the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational organised crime and said the Force remained determined to apprehend the suspects who escaped from the hideout.
The police urged members of the public and international partners to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in identifying and dismantling criminal networks involved in human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
The Force said investigations were continuing, while efforts to arrest all members of the alleged syndicate remained ongoing.
