ITALY: EUROPE-WIDE CHILD TRAFFICKING RING UNCOVERED
Rome, 29 May (AKI) - Italian police arrested 41 people on Monday after discovering a Europe-wide criminal ring trafficking in and exploiting children between the ages of eight and 13. The gang reportedly bought children from poor Bulgarian families and then smuggled them into Italy, Germany and Austria, forcing them into a life of crime. The children were mostly employed in thieving and kept in slave-like conditions. Some of the children were also sexually exploited, reports said. Those arrested are charged with slavery, illegal immigration, international drug trafficking and money-laundering. The operation was co-ordinated by the Italian military police Carabinieri in cooperation with anti-Mafia magistrates and involved police forces in Austria, Germany and Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, which is due to join the European Union in 2008, has a growing problem with Mafia-related crime.
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