Gardai said they are stepping up efforts to tackle human trafficking after two days of action targeting crime gangs.
Properties in Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Longford, Galway, Kildare, Donegal and Louth were searched. As part of the operation, 46 people were identified as having allegedly purchased sexual services from an individual involved in prostitution.
The search comes after a group of experts at the Council of Europe expressed concern about the number of human trafficking convictions in Ireland in September. The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings said the number of trafficking victims fell from 103 in 2017 to 44 in 2021.
