Iran Customs: Discovery of 14 Human Trafficking Shipments in Farvardin 97

With the discovery of five new human trafficking shipments into Iran by customs officials, the total number of such shipments since the beginning of the year 97 has reached 14. The Islamic Republic Customs announced that its agents identified five new human trafficking shipments to Iran, which included 17 individuals heading to Turkey. According to the report, with these discoveries, the total number of human trafficking shipments identified since the beginning of year 97 has reached 14, involving 43 individuals. In the ninth operation of human trafficking discovery, '9 nationals from one of the neighboring countries,' whose name was not mentioned, were found hidden inside a truck carrying cotton that customs officials at Bazargan identified. The origin of this shipment was Tajikistan, and its destination was Turkey. In another operation, 'five nationals from one of the neighboring countries were identified inside a container of a transit truck carrying polyvinyl chloride (PVC).' This shipment, originating from Uzbekistan and destined for Turkey, was also discovered at Bazargan customs. Two other human trafficking shipments involving two individuals who entered Iran from Uzbekistan through the Sarakhs customs and intended to exit towards Turkey were also reported. One of these individuals was an Iranian national who attempted to hide in a shipment of yarn, while the other hid in a cotton shipment. Customs officials also identified a Russian national 'inside the cargo compartment of a Turkish truck carrying transit goods of raisins' from Turkmenistan. As reported by Iran Customs, with the digitization and equipping of this organization with advanced control devices, 'discoveries of human trafficking have significantly increased over the past two years, and customs agents have managed to uncover more than 550 cases of human trafficking during this period.' According to this report, 'the majority of human trafficking occurs in groups or individually within incoming shipments, and these individuals are often nationals from neighboring countries.' The report did not mention the nationalities of most individuals trafficked towards Turkey, but Turkey recently returned about 600 Afghan refugees who had illegally entered the country through Iran to Kabul. Last month, the United States placed Iran alongside Venezuela and four African countries—Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, and Sudan—on the list of countries that have 'failed' to combat human trafficking. According to a law enacted in 2000 in the United States, titled the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, countries that do not implement minimum standards for combating human trafficking and do not make efforts in this area do not receive non-commercial and non-humanitarian foreign aid. In a report from July, the U.S. State Department stated that Iran has taken steps to combat human trafficking, including establishing centers to assist victims of this issue; however, it emphasized that Iran has not made significant efforts. The annual report from the U.S. State Department on global human trafficking indicates that Iran remains at 'Tier 3' on this list. Tier 2 and Tier 3 include countries that recognize the challenge of human trafficking but either do not make efforts to address it or do not recognize it, placing Iran in this category. The report also calls on Iran to respect international laws and make greater efforts to uncover human trafficking networks and sex trafficking networks. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has strongly condemned the allegations against Iran regarding shortcomings in combating human trafficking, describing the U.S. government as 'lacking the necessary authority' to present such reports. Bahram Qasemi stated that 'such reports are one-sided, biased, and based on double standards and political motives, prepared solely to tarnish the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' The U.S. State Department report also references instances of human trafficking in Iran, including 'sexual exploitation of girls in cities like Tehran, Tabriz, and Astara.' The 17th annual report from the U.S. State Department on human trafficking states that 'Iranian girls are at risk of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in brothels in Iraqi Kurdistan, particularly in the city of Sulaymaniyah.' In Farvardin 96, the Georgian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of an Iranian accused of human trafficking who had flown from Tehran to Georgia upon arrival at Tbilisi airport. Additionally, in Azar 95, the UK National Crime Agency reported that following investigations across Europe, 33 individuals related to the trafficking of migrants from Iran to the UK were arrested. These individuals were the main suspects connected to a criminal ring that, according to this agency, had smuggled hundreds of people into Europe and then to the UK using fake documents.