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An Interpol-led operation intended to crack down on human trafficking in West Africa has resulted in the rescue of almost 220 suspected smuggling gang victims in Benin and Nigeria.

Operation Epervier II, which involved some 100 officers in both countries carrying out raids and identity checks at markets, airports, seaports and in settlements, saw 47 suspected traffickers arrested, and the seizure of a number of vehicles, mobile phones and computers, as well as a quantity of cash.

A number of suspected victims were rescued from premises where it is thought they were being forced to work as prostitutes.

Interpol said many of the 157 children rescued during the operation had been smuggled across borders and had been forced to work in markets, selling goods, fetching water, cooking, carrying heavy loads, or working as housemaids.

One young boy rescued by investigators at the land border between Benin and Nigeria had been forced to carry heavy goods such as bags of rice weighing up to 40kgs between the two countries.

Many victims of human trafficking in the region are recruited by gangs that use deception and coercion, Interpol said, noting how they are routinely held in bondage while carrying out labour intensive activities.

All of the suspected victims identified during the operation originated from Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.

Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock commented: “Human trafficking is a transnational crime from which the vulnerable, especially children, simply cannot walk away.

“This operation underlines the need for cross-border collaboration between law enforcement and all stakeholders to ensure that together we can enhance our prevention, protection and prosecution efforts.”

Before the operation began, officers in both Benin and Nigeria were given specialist training provided by Interpol as part of the international law enforcement agency’s efforts to build sustainable capacity to deal with cases of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the region.

Commenting on the success of the operation, Hounde Seidou, the Police Divisional Commissioner of Benin’s Central Bureau for the Protection of Minors and Families and the Prevention of Human Trafficking (OCPM), said: “Nobody belongs in the markets or on the streets as slave labourers. As law enforcement officers it is our duty to combat human trafficking, especially when children are involved.”

In December last year, another Interpol-backed operation targeting migrant smuggling gangs across the Americas resulted in the arrest of 49 suspected people traffickers.