Officers  from Essex Police and partners spoke to passengers at Stansted Airport to raise awareness of human trafficking.

Police are working  with Border Force and the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit to identify potential victims being trafficked into or across the country for the purposes of labour exploitation.

They also monitored flights coming into the airport from countries where vulnerable people may have been trafficked into the UK for the purposes of offences being committed against them.

One safeguarding referral was made.

The operation ran on Thursday 17 September and Friday 18 September, but is part of the work we’re doing every day to safeguard victims of human trafficking and target the criminals who exploit them.

DC Mark Ghosh said: “Vulnerable people can be promised stable jobs and then be brought into the country and forced to work for little or no pay. They might also be forced into sex work against their wishes.

“It leaves them unable to break free from the debts they or their families have to pay to the criminals who made the arrangements and control every aspect of their lives.”

If you have any information about human trafficking or modern slavery offences taking place, please tell us. Call 101, or 999 in an emergency, or report online at https:///www.essex.police.uk