Among the victims were three Romanians suspected of arriving in the UK to be sexually exploited were discovered at Manchester airport following heightened checks on incoming flights from Tirana, Bucharest at Gatwick.
A 14 year old Romanian girl was also rescued at UK immigration controls in Calais while warrants were issued by Kent Police at 11 address in towns on England's coast line.
It's estimated up to 13,000 victims of modern slavery in Britain, according to the Home Office.
Here is some body-worn video footage captured by officers executing a modern day slavery warrant in #Dover this morning. Four people remain in custody as our enquiries continue. pic.twitter.com/uvSXbdu7ae
— Kent Police (UK) (@kent_police) May 16, 2018
READ MORE: 'We Can't Fail Victims' UK Gov't Must Extend Help to Slavery Survivors
The National Crime Agency (NCA) worked with the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) in the nationwide operation to find people enslaved and potential victims.
Dozens of potential victims of slavery safeguarded following the latest nationwide multi-agency drive to tackle modern slavery.
— NationalCrimeAgency (@NCA_UK) May 23, 2018
The week of co-ordinated action was led by the NCA and @UK_Glaa working alongside @PoliceChiefs and @ukhomeoffice
Story here: https://t.co/XcrXsreVYN pic.twitter.com/tkNx9sAWi6
"This coordinated week of activity aimed to disrupt and build intelligence on the criminal networks involved in labor exploitation, but also to raise awareness of the issues around modern slavery for workers," Roy McComb, NCA deputy director said in statement.
.@sussex_police, working with local partners, arresting five people in Hastings on suspicion of modern slavery offences and safeguarding eight potential victims as part of an investigation into allegations of exploitation by an employment agency supplying workers into care homes pic.twitter.com/XqMJNGKQw8
— NationalCrimeAgency (@NCA_UK) May 23, 2018
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Social media also has a role in preventing exploitation; videos and posts in English, Polish, Romanian and Slovakian were published to help people spot signs of slavery and offer advice to victims on what to do while police visited building sites and checked fishing boats.
The Filipino men will be returned home but the boat’s skipper was notified that he faces a potential Home Office fine of up to £60,000.
— NationalCrimeAgency (@NCA_UK) May 23, 2018
Border Force and NCA officers, working with GLAA and @DC_Police carried out safeguarding checks on a number of maritime vessels in South Devon. On one fishing boat three Filipino men were found to be working illegally without visa documentation. pic.twitter.com/9BSRBBOObI
— NationalCrimeAgency (@NCA_UK) May 23, 2018
The extent of modern slavery in Britain was recently exposed in a report described as "horrifying" but Kevin Hyland, former Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
READ MORE: Modern Day Slavery in Britain ‘Laid Bare' by New Report
'The Nature and Scale of Labor Exploitation Across all Sectors Within the UK' is published by the government's Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority, which also worked with the NCA on the latest coordinated crackdown on human trafficking.
The in-depth report revealed a 362 percent increase in the number of British victims of human trafficking while data showed the UK and France as the most popular destination for trafficked Romanian children.
Despite being regarded as a leader in Europe for passing the Modern Slavery Act in 2015, the British government has received criticism in recent reports accusing the Home Office of not understanding victims, perpetrators or the crime.
READ MORE: Damning Report Exposes UK Gov't Failure to Tackle Modern Slavery
