NYPD World Cup trafficking operations rescued 43 people, police say
NYPD officials say 43 people, including seven minors, were rescued and 89 suspects arrested during World Cup operations.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
NYPD World Cup trafficking operations rescued 43 people, including seven minors, during matches in the New York City area, according to the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit.
The operations ran from June 11 to July 19 and were carried out by specialized NYPD detectives, police said. Officers arrested 89 people accused of operating human-trafficking rings tied to the World Cup period.
Most of the people rescued were victims of sex trafficking, according to police. The department said they are now receiving help through the NYPD’s new Gender-Based Violence Police and Planning Unit, which provides services including food, housing and counseling.
How many people did the NYPD rescue during the World Cup?
The NYPD said 43 people were rescued in the New York City-area operations, and seven of them were minors. Police said the effort involved 87 operations during the World Cup period.
Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit, told CBS News that the department was struck by the support behind the effort and the coordination with partner agencies.
The NYPD said those operations also produced fresh leads. An NYPD official told CBS News that investigations are continuing as a result of the work done around the matches.
Why did police focus on World Cup trafficking?
Law enforcement agencies treat major sporting events as high-risk periods for human trafficking, according to police. The World Cup brought matches to multiple cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada, creating a broad security operation involving local, state and federal agencies.
In the New York City area, eight matches were played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including the final on Sunday. The NYPD had spent years preparing for security around the event, CBS News reported.
Marcus said a major part of the department’s preparation involved checking on people in the registry who were known sex offenders, especially those known to police as human traffickers. He said detectives visited people on parole or probation for human trafficking to check compliance with release terms and to make clear the department was watching.
What happened in other World Cup cities?
The New York-area cases were part of a broader enforcement push around the tournament. Police departments in several host areas made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri, according to CBS News.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges were made nationally during the World Cup. DHS also reported that 61 adults and 13 minors were rescued across the country.
Officials have not said how many additional cases may come from the new leads generated during the New York operations. The NYPD said law enforcement agencies are building more cases from investigations already underway.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.