Over 40 human smuggling arrests made in seven weeks

Some 40 people have been arrested in connection with human trafficking since the mobile surveillance checks were intensified in mid-September, State Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff of Security and Justice announced on Monday. He believes that the intensified surveillance is paying off. Since the measures were increased, the average weekly arrests increased from 3 to 7. Between January 1st and November 1st, a total of 160 human trafficking suspects were arrested by the Mobile Surveillance Security teams of the Koninklijke Marechaussee, Royal Military Police. "We need to tackle smugglers as hard as possible", the State Secretary said to newspaper AD. According to him, the additional checks are needed to gain a better understanding of human trafficking in the Netherlands. The intensified surveillance checks are being performed by the Koninklijke Marechaussee, with assistance from other departments of Defense and partners, such as customs and the police. The checks are performed at random on the road, airports, international trains and on the water.