PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION
Press Release
06 June 2007
U.S. and UK Agencies to Join Forces in Combating Human Trafficking
 The U.S. and UK governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding today at the U.S. Embassy in London to improve international cooperation to combat human trafficking. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on human trafficking and Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police Grahame Maxwell represented the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John P. Clark represented the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John P. Clark and Grahame Maxwell, Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) sign the Memorandum of Understanding on June 6. (Photo credit: U.S. Embassy - Sarah-Jane Mayhew)
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
Today’s signing of the Memorandum of Understanding expands the ability of U.S. and UK law enforcement agencies to share information, intelligence and leads about criminal organizations involved in human trafficking. Even before the establishment of the UKHTC in October 2006, British and American law enforcement agencies, working together, were able to identify the same trafficking organizations sending victims to both countries. In at least one instance, traffickers from the United Kingdom hid proceeds and assets in the United States.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Clark said the new Memorandum of Understanding formalizes an effective collaboration to make it more difficult for traffickers to carry on their activities. “The U.S. and the UK face many of the same issues when it comes to trafficking. Both are destination countries. Traffickers should harbor no illusions: we will not be deterred from prosecuting and dismantling their outlaw organizations.”
Mr. Maxwell noted that 2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United Kingdom, and said it is time to end modern-day slavery. “Today marks another step forward in the fight against those involved in the heinous crimes of trafficking in human beings. It will enable better cooperation between the UK and U.S. law enforcement agencies tasked with combatting 21st century slavery,” he said.
ICE, the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is the lead agency in the U.S. for human smuggling and trafficking investigations. In the last year, ICE initiated more than 300 investigations into human trafficking organizations that resulted in almost 200 arrests and seizures of millions of dollars in assets from the criminal organizations.
For more information, see http://www.ukhtc.org and http://www.ice.gov .
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