More Profitable Than Drug Dealing — Selling Humans

By Laurie Mason Schroeder Staff Writer
 

When you hear the words “human trafficking,” you are forgiven if your mind wanders to faraway lands like Thailand and Africa. It seems absurd that this modern day form of slavery could occur in the United States in 2013.
Yet experts say that human trafficking is on the rise in the U.S., even in Bucks County. Two upcoming court cases show that women and children are allegedly being forced into prostitution here, and local officials are forming a task force to address the problem.

“Human trafficking is all around us, but most people don’t see it,” said Julie Dugary of Network of Victim Assistance, the agency spearheading the task force.

“It’s more profitable than drug dealing. You can only sell a drug once, but a person you can sell again and again.”

Indeed, experts say that human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world, after drug selling, with an estimated 2.5 million victims worldwide, including a possible 300,000 in the U.S.

While California tops the nation with police reports of human trafficking, Pennsylvania, with its numerous major highways leading to both large metropolitan and rural farm communities, has been identified as a frequent “pass through” state for human traffickers, especially those who promote prostitution.

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