The Family Supports Unit (FSU) of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and its key partners – the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) and the INTERPOL have engaged a team from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on mapping out strategy(ies) in ending human trafficking in Sierra Leone and the sub region.

Head of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Units of the UNODC, Arnalias Pauciuallo informed that she will be establishing an office in Sierra Leone to address the issue of human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants from Sierra Leone.

Human trafficking, she said is a crime that is committed in different ways and for different purposes. Some she said can be for sexual exploitation and for financial or material benefits which sometimes results to either death or physical injuries to the victims.

Ms. Pauciuallo further revealed that her intention is to establish a long-term partnership with Sierra Leone to address issue that falls within the mandate of her office.

She further explained that trafficking of person, cybercrime and drugs issues form parts of the mandated of her office, explaining that as an entity, they are trying to form a working group to develop training manual on the trafficking of human beings.

“We will therefore start with the law enforcement officers and the judiciary to receive appropriate trainings, so as to enable them identify potential victims of trafficking and find proper solutions to curb the issue of human trafficking in Sierra Leone and the sub region.

Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police, William Fayia Sellu expressed gratitude to Ms. Pauciuallo, saying that everything presented was for the good of the police and the entire nation.

He said human trafficking and migrants smuggling are gradually becoming topical issues, adding that the Sierra Leone Police welcome the project and promised to reciprocate what they have learnt across men and women of the Force.