Human trafficking is a ‘big problem’ in Northern Ireland says Women's Aid - first case of organ harvesting uncovered

The comments came as three people were arrested on charges relating to six women who had been trafficked from Romania to Northern Ireland for sexual exploitation.

Noelle Collins, area manager of Women’s Aid in Belfast and Lisburn, said it was a growing problem in the region.

“We have come a long way. Human trafficking wasn’t on the radar of any of our minds in Northern Ireland for many years and now people are understanding that it actually happens,” she told the BBC.

“It was something that happened perhaps in the Middle East, but not on the streets of south Belfast.

“Unfortunately now it is a big problem here in Northern Ireland.”

Ms Collins said the organisation had recently dealt with its first case of organ harvesting.

She said the woman had a kidney removed “without her consent and without her knowledge” and is “now in the care of our medical service here”.

Women’s Aid Belfast and Lisburn has said it is currently dealing with more than 230 female victims of human trafficking, compared with 47 victims in 2021.

Home Office statistics show that more than 500 people were potentially trafficked into Northern Ireland last year, an increase of 50% on 2021.

Ms Collins said that human trafficking did not exclusively affect foreign-nationals.

“Many of them are foreign-national women but there are local women in there as well who have been subject to human trafficking on the island of Ireland,” she said.

“The majority of those women would also have applications in for refugee asylum and they are living in hotels.

“There are quite a lot of these women who were professionals in their countries back home – there are women who worked for government, women with PhDs who really need and want to get back to our society because they feel Northern Ireland has rescued them.”

She added: “You can’t imagine the trauma these women have been through because of their exploitation.”

On Thursday the PSNI arrested two men and one woman on suspicion of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, controlling prostitution for gain, brothel keeping and money laundering.

They have been resident in Northern Ireland for some time but are originally from Romania.

Six people, all in their 20s, had been brought to Northern Ireland from Romania for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

PSNI detective inspector Rachel Miskelly said: “The amount of money that can be made through the selling of sex is horrendous.”

Brothels linked to the group were discovered in Greater Belfast and Newtownabbey but police say the victims had been trafficked around Northern Ireland.

Anyone affected by human-trafficking is urged to call 999 in an emergency, 101 in a non-emergency, or call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 012 1700.

Meanwhile, three people are to appear in court charged with human trafficking for sexual exploitation and brothel keeping.

The 35-year-old woman and two men, aged 29 and 26, have also been charged with controlling prostitution for gain and money laundering offences.

The charges follow a significant operation conducted jointly between the PSNI’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit and Romanian authorities, into an organised crime group on Thursday.

It focused on the activities of a group suspected of trafficking young Romanian women throughout Northern Ireland for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The 29-year-old man has also been reported to the Public Prosecution Service for paying for sexual services.

They are all due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.