Azerbaijan, Baku, November 27/ Trend , corr I. Alizade/ There is a rise in human trafficking related facts in Azerbaijan, Javad Shikhaliyev, chief of Counter Human Trafficking Department of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan said to journalists.
As many as 300 people were held criminally responsible for human trafficking in 2007. About 120 of these facts accounted for trafficking in women with 162 of committers being women.
He said a rise in these facts is due to the reinforcing fight against human trafficking. As many as 371 human trafficking crimes were revealed in 2008. A total of 74 of these crimes were solved and 77 human trafficking victims were revealed. As many as 85 people were held criminally responsible.
The Interior Ministry official said persons are mainly trafficked to Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Iran and India.
Shikhaliyev said no facts of trafficking persons from abroad have been revealed in Azerbaijan in 2008 and added that persons in small numbers were trafficked to Azerbaijan from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Moldova in past years.
He said people patronizing human trafficking have not been found yet and added that if they are revealed they will be held criminally liable.
"Illiteracy and small world outlook of people make them victims of human trafficking. They are lured to abroad by good offers such as high salary and an opportunity to start a family," he noted.
The correspondent can be contacted at : [email protected]
