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Suspected trafficking for organ removal recorded for first time in Ireland last year, report shows

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has published a new anti-trafficking report today.

A SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING for organ removal was recorded for the first time in Ireland last year, according to a new anti-trafficking report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).

The report has made several recommendations to the Government for improving its methods of supporting victims of human trafficking.

Figures released in today’s report showed that from 2013 to 2022, 55% of victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation, while 38% were trafficked for labour exploitation. 

In 2022, for the first time, a suspected trafficking for organ removal was recorded, which the IHREC said mirrors the trends in the EU where novel forms of exploitation are picking up.

The Guardian reported on 5 May that the Metropolitan Police is investigating more cases of organ trafficking in the UK after new victims came forward following the first conviction for the offence under modern slavery laws. 

The IHREC report outlined that overall, more women (67%) fall victim to human trafficking than men (33%). 

More men (60%) are trafficked for labour exploitation. 

  • Our investigative platform Noteworthy examined such labour exploitation in the fishing industry last year and found “an across the board failure” by the justice system when it comes to trafficking of migrant fishers.

Children represent 8% of all victims in Ireland. The IHREC said this is significantly less than the EU average of 23%. 

Data shows that more girls are trafficked than boys at 9% and 5% respectively. 

The report outlined that no child victims were identified in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, five child victims were identified as suspected victims of trafficking. The majority of these were trafficked for sexual exploitation. 

Recommendations

The IHREC said it strongly welcomes steps to establish a statutory National Referral Mechanism. This is a wide-ranging piece of legislation which the Commission said has significant potential. 

The Commission said it is particularly pleased to see many of the recommendations it presented to the Joint Committee on Justice last December included, such as an appeals process for identification of victims. 

The IHREC said the traffickers often use the threat of prosecution as a means of control, as victims are afraid to come forward. 

The Commission is recommending that a statutory protection from prosecution for victims of human trafficking be included in the new General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2022 where a person has committed a crime as a direct consequence of them being trafficked. 

The IHREC is also continuing the call for considerably more action to be taken to accommodate victims of trafficking in safe, appropriate and gender-specific accommodation, separate from Direct Provision. 

The Commission is calling for a clear human trafficking assistance system, with equality services regardless of the victim’s nationality or existing international protection claim. 

“Trafficking in human beings is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world,” IHREC chief commissioner Sinéad Gibney said.

“It profits from the exploitation of vulnerable people and deprives them of their most basic human rights. Trafficking often targets people living in poverty, or those fleeing situations of armed conflict or persecution, particularly migrant women and girls,” Gibney said. 

“People trafficking can come in many guises, so we must work to expand our understanding and legal definition of trafficking to include novel forms of exploitation,” she said. 

 

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27 Comments
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    Mute mcbab
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    Jul 10th 2012, 1:57 PM

    Well done to the Customs and Garda.

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    Mute Darren
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:06 PM

    Great Job done by guards and customs again ..

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    Mute Gerard
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:44 PM

    Good work, cost me €1200 to get my injectors replaced because of washed fuel from a “reputable” filling station.

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    Mute Derek
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    Jul 10th 2012, 3:19 PM

    Report that station to the police. If you had to replace injectors your probably not alone. I wouldn’t let them off if they are making a quick buck which ends up costing customers costly repair work.

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    Mute Gerard
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    Jul 10th 2012, 3:23 PM

    I already did Derek, so did alot of people in my area, they were shut down by customs about 2 months ago. 2 brothers from dundalk were running the station. Only found this out after they were shut down. All the staff were locals and hadn’t a clue what was going on

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    Mute Alan Murphy
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    Jul 10th 2012, 7:37 PM

    A certain supermarket chain of petrol stations are notoriously guilty of that

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    Mute Katie Does
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:13 PM

    My husband’s family live near the border, in a rural area. They can point out the lorries, drive you past the laundering plants and name the people involved. They like most people in the area (and judge them how you like for this, but they have to live there) just say nothing and ignore it.

    I’ve heard people say (and obviously this is no more than a feeling or hunch) that there is a certain ‘tolerance’ for this by the authorities. Plants that appear to operate openly, for months/years, are one day raided. Some people say (and this would be just hearsay) that on those days the stock is low, equipment has been moved and there are fewer lorries than normal.

    I have heard people say they’ve seen customs vehicles regularly pass these lorries and farms in the time they operate, a long, long time before action is taken.

    Of course I have no evidence of anything I’ve written above. It’s most likely just local gossip or an urban (or rural) legend.

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    Mute Gavin Tobin
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:51 PM

    Well Katie if there was no illegal fuel laundering there would be less Garda & customs overtime.

    Same with the overall limerick gang situation. I guess the guards could shut them down in an instant…but why would they…the guards have the most to lose!!!!!!

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    Mute Damian Martin
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    Jul 10th 2012, 5:18 PM

    that is serious bullshit!!!

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Jul 10th 2012, 6:10 PM

    Three people arrested-that’s hardly called tolerance!

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    Mute Gerry Ryan
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:30 PM

    Surely in this day and age we regulate this more effectively. Why can’t farmers keep all receipts for diesel and submit them with their monthly/annual returns to get a tax rebate. X amount of litres allowed per annum based on Y number of registered farm vehicles.

    In a simple stroke, diesel laundering would stop, or am I missing something?

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    Mute Niall Mulligan
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:46 PM

    You need the North to stop too.
    How do haulage contractors run their trailer units (refrigeration)
    How do I prove I used a certain amount in my Generator…. etc etc….

    Plus we are too damm lazy !

    11
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    Mute Gavin Tobin
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:53 PM

    Public servant jobs and overtime.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jul 10th 2012, 6:13 PM

    Good system but i could give the farmer my receipts & split the money & theres the new fiddle. Not an easy fix this however if you target the buyers take vehicles & property where they knew what they were buying I think this would be better.

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:38 PM

    The problem is that the courts do not regard this as serious crime. A recent case saw a man covicted of laundery 6,000 litres PER DAY! When arrested he refused to say where he was taking the stuff or who his accomplices were. Sentence…two years, yes two years suspended. Where’s the deterrent.nnThe solution is to abolish agricultural deisel and repay the tax to farmers against receipts from the oil delivery company.

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    Mute Niall Mulligan
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    Jul 10th 2012, 1:47 PM

    Just remember lads. If you’re driving back to Dundalk from Blaney, don’t go through Culaville or the siezed goods and plant will be taken off you AGAIN ! http://www.thejournal.ie/customs-truck-carrying-fuel-laundering-evidence-hijacked-and-set-alight-148712-Jun2011/

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Jul 10th 2012, 5:27 PM

    The reasons these operations are not just taken out immediately are as seen with this one! The authorities wait and ensure the plant is operating and that there are individuals present! I don’t think that you can say that three arrests are the result of the authorities having a low tolerance! I don’t think you can really criticise when on one hand you say the locals turn a blind eye and then say nothing is done! People need to take responsibly for what is going on on their own doorstep before blaming others for inaction!

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    Mute Clive Hand
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    Jul 10th 2012, 1:45 PM

    O No! Not again……. (“,)

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    Mute Sean Slevin
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    Jul 10th 2012, 5:29 PM

    Fuel laundering in a border county?
    Never!

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    Mute BigChap1759
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    Jul 10th 2012, 3:08 PM

    Sorry but can someone explain how oil is laundered – do they mean diesel??

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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Jul 10th 2012, 5:18 PM

    Agricultural diesel is sold at a lower price to farmers. It is marked with a red dye which can be detected by the Gardai if used in a private car.These smugglers buy or steal ag. diesel and use chemicals to wash out the red colour.These chemicals are very bad for modern diesels as they can affect the injectors and the mirror finish on their high efficiency fuel pumps.
    What a lot of people don’t know is that there is a similar scam concerning petrol.Additives which are bad for the engine can be added to “stretch” the petrol.

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    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
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    Jul 10th 2012, 2:18 PM

    Slippery !!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Mute Resel
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    Jul 10th 2012, 9:06 PM

    They should just advertise that this kind of fuel will damage your car costing you more in the end. Then people wouldn’t want it.

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    Mute pjbrowne
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    Jul 11th 2012, 5:37 AM

    the people don’t know they are buying it most petrol stations are in on the scam there making a fortune selling it to unsuspecting drivers it ruins modern deisel engines you would be better off using the agriculture diesel before it was washed and take your chance st least it won’t ruin your engine

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