Intelligence is a important tool in tackling modern slavery

Home Office officials, Humberside police and charities say that intelligence is the most important tool in their armoury, as they aim to tackle the rising problem of modern slavery.

Detective Chief Inspector of Humberside police Mark Kelk, explains how the public can help agencies like the police tackle the issue:

The numbers of adults and children trafficked into Britain is growing; there are now an estimated 13,000 modern slave victims within the UK today.

With an ever increasing number of private companies, rebel groups or in some cases the state looking to take advantage of the world’s most venerable people, the agencies that aim to tackle the issue, are overburdened with the levels of modern slavery that they have to deal with.

• Forced labour in the private economy generates US$ 150 billion in illegal profits per year.

• Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour – 11.4 million women and girls and 9.5 million men and boys.

• Almost 19 million victims are exploited by private individuals or enterprises and over 2 million by the state or rebel groups.