BBC World Service’s investigative unit, BBC Africa Eye, follows Sierra Leone’s anti-trafficking police unit, as they target criminal gangs trafficking young people across West Africa.
The documentary follows a father’s search for his missing children and offers audiences insight into the Sierra Leone Police as they conduct operations against the criminal gangs running these trafficking networks.
In Hunting the Traffickers, BBC Africa Eye reporter Saidu Bah uncovers how thousands of young people across West Africa are being exploited and lured in by false promises of lucrative work opportunities abroad. The investigation reveals how many victims invest significant sums of money, only to find themselves held captive and coerced into recruiting friends and family from back home, feeding a cycle of exploitation.
Thousands of people across West Africa are being lured by a human trafficking scam, commonly known as QNET. Founded in Hong Kong, QNET itself is a legitimate wellness and lifestyle company – it allows people to sign up to buy their products and sell them online. In West Africa, criminal gangs are using its name as a front for their illegal activities.
Traffickers target young people with the promise of work opportunities in places like the US, Canada, Dubai and Europe, asking them first to pay large sums of money for administration costs ahead of starting the job. Once lured in, they are often told they can’t travel abroad until they recruit others; the promised jobs do not materialise.
Reporter Saidu Bah joins police forces on the ground in Makeni, Sierra Leone, as they attempt to clamp down on these traffickers and locate victims.
The documentary follows Foday Musa, a father from Guinea whose 18-year-old daughter & and 22-year-old son were victims of a trafficking gang – they were recruited with three other young people from their remote village. BBC Africa Eye follows Foday as he travels to Sierra Leone to work with police in the hopes of reuniting with his children.
Reporter Saidu Bah says: “In Sierra Leone and across West Africa, some young people desperate for work abroad, are ending up in the hands of trafficking gangs. I want to reflect the devastation experienced by survivors and explore what authorities are doing to address this issue. Throughout the journey of this documentary, I was struck by the countless young people who have been deceived and abused simply for daring to hope for a better life.”
Where to watch?
- Hunting the Traffickers will be available from Monday 19 January
- International: The documentary will be available on BBC News Africa YouTube channel in English
- UK audiences: Watch on BBC iPlayer
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