123 Missing Children Found Safe After Human Trafficking Sting

On September 26th, 2018, Operation MiSafeKid found 123 missing children during a one-day sweep by the U.S Marshals Service and Michigan State Police.

While the emphasis was on locating victims of sex trafficking, they were also focused on finding missing children in the area. Out of the 301 files, 123 were found. So far, three cases were identified as being possible sex trafficking cases. All of the children found were under 17. 107 of those children have been placed with their parents or guardians.

Unfortunately, human trafficking involving children is all too common. Each year, about 40 million people worldwide fall victim to human trafficking, according to the International Labour Organization. The vast majority of victims of human trafficking are women and children.

Human trafficking of children generates an estimated $39 billion a year globally. According to Missing Kids, In 2016, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.

Know The Signs of Human Trafficking

It is important to know the signs of human trafficking. You can read about more signs here.

• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Lives with a group of individuals that are not family members
• Appears malnourished
• Has few or no personal possessions
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
• Avoids eye contact
• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is unpaid, or paid very little