POLICE have stepped in to protect 20 potential victims of modern slavery and child trafficking.

Thames Valley Police intervened during a crack down on human trafficking while also investigating drug supply and immigration offences.

The operation in June was part of a Europe-wide operation, involving 19 police forces from across the UK, including Thames Valley Police, as well as other partners including Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, British Transport Police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit supported the operation to look at information on different police systems, building risk-profiles for individuals.

It helped identify more than 80 people at risk, such as having previous connections to organised crime, having been involved in drugs or violence or being subject to previous interventions by authoritiers.

Chief Superintendent Jim Weems, head of force intelligence and specialist operations, said: “Our actions have helped to ensure a number of individuals are no longer at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking, while the intelligence gather identified a number of possible offences for which investigations are continuing.

“Modern slavery and human trafficking is absolutely abhorrent, and Thames Valley Police remain committed to ensuring that any such offences are investigated thoroughly and offenders brought to justice."