International operation coordinated by Romania identifies 51 potential human trafficking victims online
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An international operation coordinated in part by Romania identified online 51 potential victims of human trafficking, all women, as well as five suspects and six possible criminal networks, Europol announced on October 22. The results come from checking advertisements, accounts, and other information available on the internet and will support investigations and assessments of the protection needs of the persons concerned.
In brief An international operation identified online 51 potential victims of human trafficking, all women, five suspects, and six possible networks. The Netherlands led the operation, jointly coordinated with Germany, Romania, and the United Kingdom, with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The meeting took place in Amsterdam between September 23 and 25. The 40 experts from 20 countries checked 26 platforms, 77 accounts, and 166 entities. The checks do not represent confirmed crimes. Leads concerning the recruitment of organ donors and the possible exploitation of Vietnamese women in surrogacy arrangements were sent for further analysis. Identifying potential victims does not mean that they have already been rescued. Europol did not announce arrests or a separate tally for Romania; the information will support investigations and protection assessments.
The operation was led by the Netherlands, with Germany, Romania, and the United Kingdom in joint coordination roles and with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The fifth edition of the EMPACT operational meeting dedicated to the digital dimension of human trafficking took place in Amsterdam between September 23 and 25, 2026. Forty experts and investigators from 20 countries participated, including police officers, representatives of labor authorities, and online investigation specialists.
Investigators pursued indications of sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, and coercion into criminal activities. They checked 26 online platforms, 77 social media accounts, and 166 entities, a category that includes people, usernames, locations, platforms, and telephone numbers. These figures describe the checks carried out, not confirmed crimes or categories that can be added together to obtain a total of distinct targets.
The joint work focused on links between recruitment advertisements, profiles, and digital identifiers from several countries. In one case, the same telephone number appeared in 109 profiles on adult-services websites, while another number was associated with 74 profiles. Such connections can direct investigations toward possible intermediaries and networks, without by themselves proving the existence of trafficking in each advertisement.
Among the leads was a messaging group containing alleged offers to recruit organ donors and responses from other profiles. Preliminary information indicated possible links to a hospital or private clinic outside the EU and was sent to Europol for assessment. Separately, indications concerning the possible exploitation of Vietnamese women in surrogacy arrangements were forwarded to national authorities. These remain leads to be verified, without confirmation of illegal organ harvesting or trafficking in the cases concerned.
Europol sent a human trafficking specialist and two experts in digital tools to Amsterdam, while two analysts provided cross-checks and analysis from the agency's headquarters. Participants received training and access to investigative tools, including preparatory materials through CEPOL, the European agency for law enforcement training. The operation is part of EMPACT, the European framework through which national authorities and EU agencies cooperate against serious and organized crime.
Europol presents the 51 identifications as potential victims, not as people already rescued or included in protection programs. The press release does not announce arrests and does not provide a breakdown of the results for Romania. The competent authorities are to analyze the information for investigations and protection measures; suspected persons benefit from the presumption of innocence.
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