Child Rescue is the New Zealand branch of the Destiny Rescue family, a global network of organisations. At times, we may use ‘we’ and ‘our’ alongside Destiny Rescue to reflect the collective efforts of this international network in rescuing children from sexual exploitation and human trafficking, and supporting their long-term freedom.

Overview:

• Cambodian authorities recruited our team to help them take down a large trafficking operation.
• Women and children were being sold for sex by traffickers as part of the entertainment at a large bar and restaurant.
• After a delay, our agents helped police take down the entire establishment, rescuing 20 victims in the process.
• Those survivors are on the road to freedom under the special care of our loving caseworkers.

The establishment had over 30 commissioned salespeople, but they weren’t dealing in cars or home appliances. They were peddling people.

The team was called in by the Cambodian National Police (CNP) to investigate a large establishment that was offering girls for sex as part of their entertainment.

The restaurant was operated by three women who’d created a vicious system for making money from their victims. The women collaborated with over 30 traffickers to sell their victims for sex at their establishment.

Marcus said that these three provided the venue and rooms for sex: “You walk out the back, and it’s like… little hotel rooms you can rent for an hour.”

In return, the traffickers paid a portion of their earnings to the “house” for every sale. The victims ended up with less than half the money every time their bodies were sold.

Police utilised the team’s skilled undercover agents to mine intelligence without tipping off the criminals: “Whenever they (police) wanted to investigate, we’d go in and get the information they needed,” Marcus said.

It was an enormous responsibility.

The team that the Cambodian authorities called? Destiny Rescue.

And we were ready for all the responsibility that came with offering freedom to those trapped in this nightmare.

Harvesting Intel

To ensure a conviction, our team had to construct an airtight case against the traffickers. Amongst the mountain of evidence the undercover agents had to assemble, the CNP required proof that the victims were minors and that they were being sold for sex on the premises.

While we can’t share their specific techniques for the sake of future operations, Marcus said that they had to get pretty “creative” in finding ways to gather intelligence without looking suspicious.

It can be a time-consuming process, made all the more agonising by the knowledge that children were being abused night after night as the investigation progressed. But jumping the gun could have dire consequences. “If we just rush in there, there’s going to be another one that opens in a month or two,” Marcus said.

Without a solid conviction, traffickers will be free to return to their trade, barely inconvenienced by the raid and wiser to the methods rescue agents used the first time. Worst of all, more victims will end up under their power again.

After weeks of meticulous work, the CNP was finally ready to raid. They asked our team to visit the establishment one last time to confirm all the facts before raiding the next day. Specially-trained burn agents were flown in to bolster our cover, and the undercover team went in to finish the case.

But something was wrong.

When our undercover agents asked about having sex with the victims, the proprietors feigned ignorance. “This is just a restaurant,” one said. “If the girls want to have sex, they can choose to leave, but we don’t provide that….”

It was a devastating blow. Without that vital evidence, a conviction wouldn’t stick under Cambodian law, and the traffickers would go free. A CNP officer suggested that a recent major labour trafficking raid that had just occurred on the border might have spooked traffickers all around the country, causing them to act more cautiously.

Whatever the case, the raid was postponed indefinitely until they could reassemble the full body of evidence.

Going back in

Finally, after months of working on smaller cases, they got their chance.

The traffickers had returned to business as usual, and the police wanted to raid quickly. With only three days’ notice, a few volunteer burn agents were flown in to pose as foreign businessmen who wanted to celebrate a birthday party at the restaurant. Though we only needed a few, fourteen men from all over the world were willing to drop everything and fly in to help. Their commitment is a beautiful testament to these agents’ heart for rescuing children.

Our undercover team joined the burn agents at the restaurant the night before the raid. They told the managers that they were planning a huge party the following night for more international travellers and wanted to reserve some tables and entertainment.

As agents settled on the party details with the traffickers (including ordering a birthday cake), they clandestinely confirmed all the information they’d need for the raid.

The group returned the next night, ostensibly to prepare for the upcoming party. The tone was jovial, the mood upbeat and expectant, as the men prepared for the rest of their friends to arrive and enjoy the drinks and girls.

But instead of partygoers, police stormed the building. Our agents were taken into custody along with everyone else to preserve their covers. One agent recalls sitting in police custody. Across the room, the women and girls he’d come to rescue were being comforted by police and social workers as the raid wrapped up. “I don’t think the girls suspected at all that it was us that’d set everything up,” the agent said.

Aftermath

The three ringleaders who managed the establishment were arrested. Twenty total victims were rescued, 14 of whom were children. Most importantly, the restaurant, which was a revolving door for exploitation, has been shut down.

The CNP valued our team’s work on this case and has bigger plans for the future. This time, their sights are set on the kingpin behind it all. With specific precision and planning, a strategy is coming together to break down his network and make sure he’s brought to justice.

From thankless undercover work to long hours helping children through trauma, everything this elite six-person team in Cambodia does is for the sake of exploited children. What are you willing to do to help kids experience the light of freedom?

Your gift can give childhood back to a suffering victim of exploitation. Fill out the form below to rescue a child today, offering them the chance to become a survivor rather than a victim.