Firm efforts to combat human trafficking

MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman joins tomorrow other countries of the world in observing World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked annually on 30 July, underscoring the importance of enhancing international efforts to combat and prevent this transnational crime, protect its victims, and support human rights.
Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs and Chairman of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, said that World Day Against Trafficking in Persons represents an opportunity to renew collective commitment to safeguarding human dignity and protecting individuals from various forms of exploitation and coercion. He stressed that human trafficking is not only a violation of the law, but also a direct assault on human freedom and rights.

He added that the Sultanate of Oman addresses human trafficking through an integrated national approach based on prevention, protection, prosecution and institutional partnership, placing victims' rights and safety at the core of its response.
He emphasised that the enactment of the Law on Combating Human Trafficking under Royal Decree No. 78/2025 reinforced this approach, keeping pace with emerging methods of this crime and expanding the scope of protection provided to victims.
He noted that this year's theme, 'Trapped in the Fraud Trap,' highlights one of the rapidly growing forms of this crime, which involves luring individuals with fake job offers and subsequently subjecting them to exploitation and coercing them into committing online fraud. This evolution, he said, requires tighter international cooperation, regular exchange of information and expertise, and cross-border judicial and security coordination.
Al Harthy reaffirmed that the Sultanate of Oman continues to work with its regional and international partners to prevent this crime, protect victims of human trafficking, and hold perpetrators accountable, thereby preserving human dignity and reinforcing the rule of law.
For his part, Brigadier Jamal bin Habib al Quraishi, Director-General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), said that this observance aims to raise community awareness regarding the dangers of human trafficking and its impact on individuals and society. It also seeks to raise awareness about prevention methods and mechanisms for reporting suspected cases, protect victims, and enhance the efforts of law enforcement agencies and international cooperation to confront this crime. He affirmed that combating human trafficking is a national and humanitarian responsibility requiring concerted action from government agencies, citizens, and residents alike.
He pointed out that this year's theme carries connotations reflecting a major shift in the methods of organised crime, shedding light on coercion in committing cybercrimes, such as luring victims through fictitious employment advertisements promising lucrative work opportunities abroad. Upon travelling, victims find themselves detained in facilities equipped to execute large-scale online fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency scams, and other offences.
He explained that human trafficking crimes in the Sultanate of Oman remain limited and low in number, with all forms of exploitation firmly confronted in accordance with the law while prioritising victim protection and support. At the same time, they are treated as serious offences that violate human dignity and rights.

Royal Oman Police, in cooperation with the Public Prosecution and competent government authorities, works to monitor, combat, and curb these crimes in their various forms.
He indicated that the primary manifestations of human trafficking include exploiting victims through forced labour—by compelling them to work under illegal conditions, withholding their travel documents, failing to pay their wages, or forcing them to work long hours under duress. They also include exploiting victims in acts contrary to public morals or other forms of exploitation.
He noted that during this year, the Royal Oman Police succeeded in dismantling a criminal network specialised in luring and exploiting individuals to smuggle narcotics into various countries by deceiving victims with promises of lucrative employment opportunities abroad. While completing travel procedures in their home countries, the victims were detained and forced under threat to swallow capsules filled with narcotic substances.
The operation resulted in the arrest of the gang members in an apartment in Muscat Governorate after tracking one victim who arrived at Muscat International Airport carrying narcotics inside his body. The police also foiled the network's attempt to smuggle another quantity of narcotics out of the country.
He added that the Directorate-General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations, in cooperation with the Public Prosecution and relevant government bodies, monitors and combats these crimes through an integrated system that includes monitoring and analysis, receiving reports, gathering evidence, and early detection of human trafficking indicators—particularly at air and land entry ports—as well as arresting perpetrators and referring them to the Public Prosecution, and conducting joint awareness and training programmes. Cooperation is also maintained with the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking to implement the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking Crimes.
Brigadier Jamal Habib al Quraishi, Director-General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations at the Royal Oman Police, called on members of the community to contribute to combating this crime by reporting suspected cases through official channels, refraining from dealing with unlicensed brokers or recruitment offices, verifying job offers before accepting them, respecting workers' rights, spreading awareness about the dangers of human trafficking and ways to prevent it, directing victims to competent authorities, and cooperating with security agencies during investigations, thereby contributing to protecting society and promoting human dignity.
The celebration of this day serves as an occasion to renew the international commitment to combating human trafficking, raise awareness of its various forms, and emphasise the importance of combining national and international efforts to curb it, protect groups most vulnerable to exploitation and ensure the provision of necessary protection and care for victims.