operation hudson

OPERATION HUDSON Investigation into Nigerian THB encountered at Heathrow

Presented by: Kerstin Wheeler - Heathrow Intelligence Date: 24/04/13

OPERATION HUDSON

• On 18/09/11 and 23/11/11, two Nigerian females produced forged passports attempting to fly from Heathrow to Paris. • They were off loaded from the flight to Paris and escorted to Immigration Control. • Both maintained their false identities, born 1980, and 1982 and stated that they had been living in the UK illegally prior to checking in for the Paris flight. • They were arrested and convicted of Identity Act offences and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

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OPERATION HUDSON

• They had in fact arrived direct from Nigeria and had remained overnight at Heathrow airport before attempting to continue their journey to France. They did not have visas, or genuine passports and had never been to the UK before.

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OPERATION HUDSON

• I met with Heathrow Police, Heathrow’s Criminal and Financial Investigation Team (CFI), UKHTC and SOCA’s Vulnerable Persons Team as I suspected that both females could be potential victims of trafficking, under the control of an organised criminal network. • Simultaneously whilst in prison, both females were age assessed by social services as children (aged 14 and 15 years respectively).

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OPERATION HUDSON • Both girls were removed from prison and their convictions were quashed. • They were placed into foster care and ABE interviews were carried out. • Both girls disclosed details of sexual exploitation. • On 06/04/12, both girls were reported missing to Police, who then launched a high profile missing persons alert circulated in local news and on the BBC. 5

OPERATION HUDSON • Joint Police/UKBF research identified that Odosa USIOBAIFO had been in contact with the girls the day before they went missing. • Odosa USIOBAIFO was linked to an associate who had who had travelled on the same flights from Nigeria as the two girls.

• 11/04/12 – One of the best days I’ve ever had at work 6

OPERATION HUDSON • On 11/04/12, Stansted Intel contacted me in connection with routine checks they were making into airline bookings linked to two females who had used forged passports to travel from Stansted to Valencia on 07/04/12. • One passenger had been detected and was due to be removed from Spain, back to Stansted. The other passenger had made it through and not been stopped. • An O. USIOBAIFO was responsible for both airline reservations. 7

OPERATION HUDSON

• The passenger who was returned to Stansted on 11/04/12, was one of the missing girls. • International enquiries continue into the whereabouts of the other girl who travelled to Spain.

• Odosa USIOBAIFO’s associate will be pursued. 8

OPERATION HUDSON Timeline

• Girls trafficked and intercepted by UK authorities on 18/09/11 and 23/11/11 • Airline tickets were booked on 05/04/13 • The girls went missing on 06/04/13 • The girls re-trafficked to Spain on 07/04/13 • One girl returned to safety on 11/04/13 • Odosa USIOBAIFO arrested on 03/09/12 and charged with conspiracy to traffick for sexual exploitation.

• He was found Guilty on 06/03/13 after a 4 week trial. 9

OPERATION HUDSON

On 11/03/13, at Isleworth Crown Court, Odosa USIOBAIFO was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for his involvement in trafficking the two teenage girls to Europe for sexual exploitation.

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OPERATION HUDSON

• THANKYOU

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