16 human trafficking suspects, 60 victims identified in hackathon in Apeldoorn
During a four-day long hackathon in Almere last month, 76 experts from 27 countries joined forces to investigate online leads on human trafficking. They identified 16 suspected human traffickers as well as 60 potential victims in that time, Europol reported.
The ethical hackers and experts investigated how criminals use online ads to recruit victims and customers. They identified a dark web site where human traffickers offer a range of services from female and male victims of all ages for prices between 800 and 2,000 dollars per hour based on the victim’s “skills” and age. “A permanent ‘home’ boy or girl is sold for between $20,000 and $60,000 on the same site.”
The experts also identified a new phenomenon they dubbed e-pimping that seems to be of increasing interest to perpetrators. “The investigators detected two platforms that offer ‘lifestyle courses’ and training for men who want to become ‘OnlyFans’ managers, essentially instructing them how to become e-pimps and exploit women,” Europol said. OnlyFans is a paid platform for amateur pornography.
The Empact hackathon happened in Apeldoorn from September 17 to 20. According to Europol, online-enabled human trafficking is “a growing threat that transcends borders” and the hackathon is one of the ways Europol and its partners are encouraging “international cooperation and technological expertise to counter these threats.”
