HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain individuals are more vulnerable than others. Key risk factors include:

• Recent migration or relocation: Those who have recently moved to a new area or country may be more susceptible to exploitation due to their unfamiliarity with the environment.
• Substance use or mental health concerns: Vulnerability to coercion or manipulation increases for individuals dealing with substance abuse or mental health challenges.
• Runaway or homeless: People who are homeless or have run away from home are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked, often due to their need for shelter, food, and safety.

Traffickers often target these vulnerabilities, creating situations where their victims feel dependent and unable to escape.

Human traffickers can come from various backgrounds, and they may be individuals or part of larger criminal networks. Traffickers can be:

• Relatives or close acquaintances: In some cases, traffickers are family members or friends who exploit their relationship with the victim.
• Organized criminals: Traffickers can be part of larger transnational gangs or criminal organizations involved in illegal activities.
• Politically connected individuals: Some traffickers may have influence or connections within their country of origin, making it easier for them to operate without detection.
• Isolated individuals: Not all traffickers are part of a network—some operate alone, using deception or coercion to control their victims.

Traffickers employ various tactics to control and exploit their victims, including debt bondage, fraudulent job offers, false promises of a better life or marriage, and psychological manipulation. Violence, threats of violence, and coercion are commonly used to maintain control over victims.

Human trafficking occurs in both legal and illegal industries, and is often linked with other forms of criminal activity. These include:

• Cannabis operations: Both legal and illegal cannabis cultivation and distribution are known to be sites of trafficking, particularly when vulnerable individuals are exploited for forced labor.
• Drug trafficking and organized crime: Human trafficking is frequently connected to drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and other illegal activities carried out by gangs or transnational criminal organizations.
• Other criminal industries: Trafficking can intersect with issues such as corruption, money laundering, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

Human trafficking can take place in plain sight, within legal industries that are supposed to be regulated, or in hidden illegal operations where victims are trapped and exploited. The presence of trafficking often overlaps with other forms of organized crime, making it even more difficult to spot and dismantle.