Twenty-eight countries teamed up with Europol to thwart organized crime groups involved in trafficking in human beings across the European Union and beyond. During the operational activities of the EU-wide Joint Action Day (JAD) named Ciconia Alba, one part of the intelligence-led police actions and controls focused explicitly on sexual exploitation and child trafficking.
Data gathered during the operations led to the launch of 102 new investigations in order to identify further suspects and victims linked to human trafficking cases across the EU. The JAD took place October 10-16, 2016.