United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency that is mandated to assist Member States in their efforts to counter illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism. The UNODC was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The UNODC has a global mandate and works in more than 90 countries, providing technical assistance and support to governments, civil society, and other partners. The UNODC’s work covers a range of areas, including drug control, crime prevention, criminal justice, and terrorism prevention. The UNODC also plays a key role in promoting the implementation of international conventions and agreements in these areas. The UNODC is headed by a Executive Director, who is appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

UNODC facilitates talk with state and non-state actors from Niger and Nigeria to enhance bilateral cooperation to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling
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UNODC facilitates talk with state and non-state actors from Niger and Nigeria to enhance bilateral cooperation to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling

Lagos, Nigeria  May 2022 – Fighting human trafficking and migrant smuggling along the Niger and Nigerian border is of national, regional, and global concern. The passage between Niger and Nigeria is one of the main channels along various migrant smuggling routes, which also often mirrors trafficking in persons routes. These routes include a reciprocal trade…

California resident charged in human smuggling scheme
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California resident charged in human smuggling scheme

Seattle – A 48-year-old Elk Grove, California man was arrested May 24, 2022, in Lacey, Washington, and was charged by criminal complaint with running a human smuggling scheme over the northern border with Canada and into Washington State, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.  Rajinder Pal Singh, aka Jaspal Gill, has been detained since his arrest…

GLO.ACT provides Women’s Network members with soft-skill training to maximize their impact in countering human trafficking and migrant smuggling
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GLO.ACT provides Women’s Network members with soft-skill training to maximize their impact in countering human trafficking and migrant smuggling

Vienna, Austria – 26 May 2022 –To continue to strengthen the resilience of members of the GLO.ACT Women’s Network, GLO.ACT ran a workshop on work-life balance on 24 May 2022, featuring an exciting panel of women representatives from GLO.ACT countries. Panellists shared their insights on how to best manage the work-life balance, offering tips and advice…

Chesterfield County Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography
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Chesterfield County Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

A Chesterfield Count man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for producing child pornography.

Justice Department Observes National Missing Children’s Day
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Justice Department Observes National Missing Children’s Day

As part of the 39th annual National Missing Children’s Day commemoration, the Department of Justice today honored 12 courageous individuals for their extraordinary efforts to recover missing children and bring sexual predators to justice. “Every day, law enforcement professionals, advocates, and citizens alike step up to protect children from harm, reunite missing children with their…

Engaging stakeholders to counter human trafficking: UNODC provides platform for the Sindh Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to hold a provincial consultation
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Engaging stakeholders to counter human trafficking: UNODC provides platform for the Sindh Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to hold a provincial consultation

Karachi, Pakistan – 25 May 2022 – UNODC, under the framework of the EU funded GLO.ACT project and in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has been advocating with federal and provincial authorities to establish Trafficking in Persons (TIP) coordination committees across the country. As a result of this advocacy work, the government of…

Canton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking
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Canton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

Larrien Brown-Austin, 37, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker to 15 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment fine and $1,885 in restitution to victims. 

The palm oil industry is lobbying to re-enter the U.S. market
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The palm oil industry is lobbying to re-enter the U.S. market

From the moment you wake up and eat your breakfast to the moment you brush your teeth just before you go to bed, chances are you have consumed palm oil dozens of times. This ingredient touches almost every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, it has been shown to be produced by workers and children trapped in modern slavery.

The faces from China’s Uyghur detention camps
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The faces from China’s Uyghur detention camps

Working with a consortium of 14 media organizations from 11 countries, the BBC has been able to authenticate significant elements of the Xinjiang Police Files. The hacked files contain more than 5,000 police photographs of Uyghurs taken between January and July 2018, as well as hundreds of pieces of evidence of arbitrary detention, torture, and…

Alexander M.M. Uballez Sworn in as United States Attorney for the
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Alexander M.M. Uballez Sworn in as United States Attorney for the

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Chief United States District Court Judge William P. Johnson administered the oath of office during a private ceremony. A formal investiture will be planned for a later date. United States Attorney Uballez was nominated by…