A suspected child trafficking ring forcing Romanian children to commit crime on British streets has been smashed by police.
Officers said they had secured the safety of 28 children thanks to a series of dawn raids at 16 addresses in east London.
Gang leaders are suspected of smuggling children from Romania and using them as slaves.
There were 103 children and 52 adults present at homes in Ilford searched under Operation Norman, Scotland Yard said.
One three-year-old boy was taken to hospital with bruising and facial injuries.
The safeguarded children, aged between three and 17 and all from the Romanian Roma community, will now be assessed by multi-agency experts in child protection.
Three adults were arrested on suspicion of assault and neglect of a child.
Four further adults were arrested on warrant and benefit fraud offences.
The operation was part of a joint British and Romanian investigation.
Chief Inspector Colin Carswell, of Operation Golf, which led the raids, said: „The aim of today’s operation was to safeguard and identify victims, safeguard and identify any new victims not previously identified, secure evidence, arrest suspects, and minimise any community impact that might occur.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved.
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Police smash child trafficking ring
A suspected child trafficking ring forcing Romanian children to commit crime on British streets has been smashed by police.
Officers said they had secured the safety of 28 children thanks to a series of dawn raids at 16 addresses in east London.
Gang leaders are suspected of smuggling children from Romania and using them as slaves.
There were 103 children and 52 adults present at homes in Ilford searched under Operation Norman, Scotland Yard said.
One three-year-old boy was taken to hospital with bruising and facial injuries.
The safeguarded children, aged between three and 17 and all from the Romanian Roma community, will now be assessed by multi-agency experts in child protection.
Three adults were arrested on suspicion of assault and neglect of a child.
Four further adults were arrested on warrant and benefit fraud offences.
The operation was part of a joint British and Romanian investigation.
Chief Inspector Colin Carswell, of Operation Golf, which led the raids, said: „The aim of today’s operation was to safeguard and identify victims, safeguard and identify any new victims not previously identified, secure evidence, arrest suspects, and minimise any community impact that might occur.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved.
