China cracks down on human trafficking, rescues missing victims

Chinese police cracked more than 550 cases of women and child trafficking in a 2024 crackdown, rescuing victims who had been missing for years, the Ministry of Public Security said.

The nationwide campaign, launched in March 2024 and running through the end of the year, aimed to root out human trafficking, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

During the operation, police found a victim who had been missing for 30 years, it said.

Authorities worked with several government agencies, including the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Education, to "eradicate the breeding ground for women and children trafficking".

Police across the country analyzed clues and made an all-out effort to solve cases and locate victims, the ministry said. Officials also used both traditional and new media to raise public awareness.

The ministry said it upgraded its online system for issuing alerts about missing children, aiming to better mobilize the public in searches. It also partnered with other agencies to deliver safety awareness lectures to 160 million students in 230,000 elementary and high schools to help them recognize and avoid trafficking threats.