Widespread though it may be, human trafficking often goes unnoticed. A recent interview with a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent examined signs to look out for and what makes the crime so difficult to detect.
Special Agent Jeffrey Robertson from the FBI’s Indianapolis Division spoke with Journal Gazette. He said that Indiana is home to human trafficking of multiple types, though labor and sex trafficking are the two biggest problem areas. Texas, Florida, Illinois and Michigan are also states with high trafficking rates.
Within the state of Indiana, there are many locations where trafficking takes place: houses, parking lots, hotels and more. Robertson told the newspaper that if there is a lot of money and a large number of people at a location, there is a high probability that there is trafficking.
Human trafficking, no matter the type, is always marked by coercion or force, Robertson said in the interview. Minors are generally looped into the human trafficking world through coercion – especially in instances of paid sexual activity.
“The federal statutes is what we use to guide us. ... The root of all our statutes is involuntary servitude/slavery or forced labor and doing so through force, fraud or coercion,” Robertson told the Journal Gazette.
Robertson said that the warning signs for human trafficking will vary depending on the industry that an individual works in.
“A hospital employee, a teacher, a social worker, a (Department of Child Services) employee, or simply the owner of a business – many of these groups have received training on human trafficking awareness which address their specific areas of interaction with potential victims,” Robertson said in the interview.
Regardless of the industry or training on spotting human trafficking, however, suspicious activity should always be reported to the FBI tip line or local authorities.
The FBI is taking numerous steps to combat human trafficking, including training local law enforcement members and individuals in the community. By training these groups, the FBI is hopeful that it will be able to increase the number of people who can help bring an end to trafficking.
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