Global human trafficking roundup (February 16, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

South Dakota: The Senate passes on the anti-human trafficking bill. The new bill will outlaw forced prostitution, labor, or involuntary servitude. It also will particularly benefit victims as anyone under the age of 16 will be considered as victims.

Georgia: The new Georgia attorney seeks new powers to prosecute human traffickers. The bill 200 aims to boost penalties and remove loopholes that have hindered prosecutions in the past. The bill is currently pending in a House committee for approval.

Maryland: A Craigslist undercover sting led to a possible sex trafficking case. The woman was 46 year old illegal migrant from China. She barely spoke English and believed to have a child in New York and another one left back in China. The undercover detective also said that she found evidences to promote him to turn her case over the Federal Human Trafficking Task Force.

EUROPE

UK: A Detective in Wales was told to ignore sex trafficking allegation by her superior. In 2007, her superior officer told her to leave the sex trafficking victim in the hands of the brothel owner, who was a suspect of another sex trafficking case. A month later, she discovered that seven women were forced into prostitution at the brothel while interviewing another victim in a London safe house. The Detective is currently on the process of suing the police for discrimination under whistle-blower laws.

ASIA

Thailand: Police rescued 13 girls from Karaoke during the raid. The police also arrested the bar manager and his three associates on human trafficking and pimping charges. Police seized three motorcycles that were used to transport victims for prostitution and account books.

The Philippines: A man who has been on the wanted list for pimping was shot dead by the police while escaping from the police arrest. He has been wanted by the police for a long time for pimping on a 13 year old girl on several occasions.

Macau: Authorities said that despite of the decrease in overall crime rate, the number of kidnapping soared last year. According to the government report, the number of kidnapping in 2010 was 98, up from 67 in 2009. Kidnapping was also recorded 46.3 percent increase, the biggest one out of all reported crimes.