Nine brothels in Cork and six brothels in Limerick were inspected as part of an international crackdown on human trafficking.
According to the Irish Examiner, gardaí expect the operation to help identify victims of human trafficking. They expect it to disrupt emerging trafficking networks, and uncover new lines of investigation.
Ireland took part in Operation Global Chain, an annual international anti-human trafficking initiative coordinated with Europol and law enforcement partners, in June. The operation has already generated new investigative leads, with gardaí receiving contact from potential victims of human trafficking.
As part of the Operation Global Chain, gardaí searched 166 brothels and spoke to 269 sex workers across Ireland.
As reported by the Irish Examiner, a wanted man in Germany for allegations of child kidnapping and illegal restraint was arrested in Cork City during the operation.
The man was in his 50s and was arrested at a massage parlour on a street near Oliver Plunkett St.
Detective Superintendent Derek Maguire of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau said via the Irish Examiner, “the worst thing we could do is go in and terrorise and arrest people who may be victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, which is what the case is in a lot of brothels."
“They're not going to tell you straight away that they're a victim of trafficking or indeed understand what a victim of trafficking is. There are others who maybe know what they're coming to do. But once they're here, everything changes and they're controlled, they're coerced, their documents are taken, their finances are controlled," Maguire continued.
Gardaí carry out welfare checks with people working in brothels, Maguire said: "We talk to them. We separate them from anyone who might be in there as well to try and get a full account so there's no coercion, so nobody else is listening to what they're saying.”
