Two ladies from Colombia who were victims of a human trafficking syndicate have been rescued in Nigeria by the Nigeria Police in collaboration with the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
It was gathered that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau (NCB-INTERPOL), Lagos Annex, rescued the two ladies, Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, lured to Nigeria and held captive by the syndicate in Lagos State.
The rescue operation followed intelligence received from INTERPOL-NCB, Bogotá, the Colombian capital, on August 26 regarding two ladies who were lured to Nigeria, held against their will, and had their travel documents confiscated by the syndicate who were Chinese nationals and currently at large.
Upon receiving the intelligence report, police operatives promptly launched a covert tracking operation, locating the hideout in Lagos where both victims were rescued.
According to the Nigerian Police in a statement on Saturday, August 29, the fleeing members of the syndicate abandoned the location upon sighting the approaching team, and efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest them.
“The rescued victims are currently in safe custody and receiving necessary support. The Colombian Embassy in Accra is working in close collaboration with the Bureau to secure hotel accommodations for the victims and arrange emergency travel documents to ensure their safe return to their country,” the Nigeria Police said.
