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B.C. Debuts 12-Member RCMP Unit to Tackle Human Trafficking

Announced on the UN’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the team has launched four provincewide probes prioritizing victim rescue despite low prosecution rates.

File photo. British Columbia has launched a new police unit to crack down on human trafficking.
C/Supt Elija Rain at B.C. RCMP headquarters in Surrey, BC., April 17, 2023.

Overview

  • The specialized unit, staffed in March, comprises 12 investigators drawn from RCMP major crime and local detachments to focus on organized trafficking networks.
  • Chief Supt. Elija Rain confirms the team has opened four active investigations covering all regions of British Columbia.
  • With convictions historically low, the unit emphasizes a rescue-and-removal strategy that treats each recovered victim as a successful intervention.
  • Solicitor General Nina Krieger highlighted that trafficking remains under-reported across B.C. and urged residents to report any suspected cases to law enforcement.
  • Funded through a $230 million provincial policing investment, the unit will train local officers and bolster investigative capacity in communities provincewide.