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Parliament has passed the Human Trafficking Prevention and Control Act-2012 incorporating the provision of capital punishment for the heinous offence. The law proposes more punishment in case of involvement in a gang in trafficking than a crime by an individual. In the law, there are provisions of punishment for provocation, conspiracy, attempt and coercion in terms of human trafficking. It also proposes to set up a special tribunal for speedy resolution of the disputes. Home minister Shahara Khatun placed the bill during Wednesday's session. The bill was passed after being put to voice vote by speaker Abdul Hamid. In terms of individual crime, a man has to face a minimum of five years of jail, and a maximum of life term and pay minimum Taka 50,000 as fine.

Aid organisation Simaid has launched a campaign to raise awareness about its initiatives in the rescue and rehabilitation of girls caught in sex trafficking operations in South Asia. Simaid, which is directly involved in providing resources to rescue and look after the victims of sex trafficking, is supporting two projects: one in Bangladesh and the other in India. The campaign will include constant Facebook and Twitter presences and a radio campaign on Hope 103.2 from May.

The Regional Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking Integrated Action Network (Riaction) Davao has set up hotline numbers to reach out to victims of human trafficking. The hotline (082) 330-3058 and 0917-718-55-88 are not only for the believed victims of trafficking but for witnesses as well. Regional prosecutor Antonio Arellano said the hotline was created to respond and give a hand to human trafficking victims. He said members of Riaction who would accept calls and texts through their hotline numbers, observe a systematic type of interview when receiving calls and texts to properly designate members to act on the complaint.

Prosecutors on Wednesday referred two women to the Dubai Criminal Court for human trafficking and running a brothel from July 24 to Sept.16 last year. The first suspect, TB, 41, a saleswoman from Uzbekistan, was accused of making use of the weak financial status of the victims NR, 28, and KA, 28. She duped them into believing that she would find them better paying jobs. “Upon their arrival at Sharjah International Airport, TB took them to the second suspect’s apartment in Dubai where she forced them into prostitution and took their travel documents,” said prosecutors. Besides, TB has been accused of facilitating prostitution as she allegedly went on searching for customers. However, TB denied both the charges.

An alleged pimp from Cudahy is awaiting trial on charges he trafficked and prostituted a 17-year-old girl and prostituted at least one other woman to work at motels around Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee last summer and fall. Lamont Donnell Sholar, 30, has been charged with six felony counts, including trafficking of a child, human trafficking, soliciting a child for prostitution, pimping and second-degree sexual assault, according to a criminal complaint. The teenage girl said she met Sholar through his cousin, Shawnrell K. Simmons, 28, of Milwaukee, when her friends wanted to try prostitution.

A 35-year-old Monterey woman has been arrested in connection to human trafficking and other charges, said police. The Monterey Police Department arrested Aaliyah Solange Ali Person, also known as Lisa Louise Banner, after investigating an allegation that an underage female runaway from the bay area was brought to Monterey to be a prostitute. A search warrant was served at Person's home on Blue Larkspur Lane in Monterey where evidence of drug sales was also located. "I'm shocked," says Mary Belser, a neighbor who lives in the gated community.

Two Tulsa men were indicted by a federal grand jury and arraigned on human trafficking charges Tuesday. Ignacio Ijom-Brito and Antonio Felix Velasquez-Lopez are charged with Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion. This comes after Tulsa law enforcement officials said police busted a sex ring at two Tulsa apartment complexes on Jan. 19th. Four men were arrested and three, including Velasquez-Lopez, reportedly admitted to their role in the sex ring. According to U.S. Attorney Thomas Scott Woodward, the men allegedly made a woman from Mexico prostitute herself for their financial gain.

Five soldiers are facing imprisonment of between five and 15 years and dismissal from the military over their alleged involvement in the smuggling of immigrants that led to the deaths of many in a shipwreck. The five soldiers are Chief Warrant Officer Sosiali, Chief Sergeant Choirul Anama and Chief Corporal Kariadi, Second Sergeant Cornelis Nama and Second Sergeant Ilmun Abdul Said. According to the Military Region V/Brawijaya’s Military Police (Pomdam) Commander Col. Budi Purwono, the five are charged under Articles 120 (1) of Law No. 6/2011 on Immigration and Articles 103 and 126 of the Military Criminal Code.

A study has found that human trafficking in South Africa has been getting worse as trafficking rings become more sophisticated and poverty means that more are desperate and easily targeted. On the streets of Durban in South Africa, children are sold for muti and organ “donation”, used for sexual exploitation, cheap labour and even forced marriage. Social workers have estimated that there were 28,000 child prostitutes in South Africa, some as young as 12 years old. The Centre for International Policy’s Global Financial Integrity programme estimated last year that global human trafficking accounted for R230 million of illicit trade, only one third behind drugs and counterfeit goods.

The first human trafficking case in Brunei was heard yesterday at the High Court with two Malaysian nationals being charged under Section 4 of the Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons Order 2004. The case was heard before Justice Dato Paduka Steven Chong following an application made by Deputy Public Prosecutor Pg Hjh Hana Molina Pg Hj Mohammad to transfer the case from the Magistrate's Court. According to court documents, the defendants, married couple Chiew Wee Tat and Teo Pin Pin, both 40 years old, allegedly recruited and received an Indonesian domestic maid aged 37 years old for the purpose of exploitation through forced labour and servitude, by means of force, physical abuse and deception against the woman.