Man charged over human trafficking

Two 21-year-old women were rescued by police during the operation which took place on Monday.

They are now receiving specialist support.

The man is set to appear at Laganside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The charges come as Justice Minister David Ford urged people across Northern Ireland to be aware that human trafficking is happening in the region.

"By its very nature human trafficking is a clandestine crime and it is therefore very difficult to quantify the scale of the problem in Northern Ireland," Mr Ford said.

"What we do know however is that it is happening here and we must do all we can to help victims and bring perpetrators to justice."

The comments were made at the Irish Baptist Network's conference on the issue.

Mr Ford added: "I welcome the fact that two potential victims of human trafficking were rescued yesterday by the PSNI as part of an ongoing investigation. Thankfully they are now receiving the specialist support they need."

A Blue Blindfold advertising campaign is coming to an end, but the Justice Minister said it had helped to raise awareness.

"It is important that everyone in society understands what this crime is and how they can help and I commend the Irish Baptist Network for focusing on this issue at their conference," he added.

"Law enforcement agencies are seeing successes in this area but, with further cooperation across society, I truly believe we can bear down on this heinous crime and free victims from a dreadful situation."

During 2009/10, the PSNI identified 25 victims of human trafficking. To date, there have been 20 cases of human trafficking in 2010/11 and there are a number of charges for human trafficking offences going through the criminal justice system.

The public can find out more information on what human trafficking is, how to spot the signs and what they can do to stop it at www.blueblindfold.co.uk.