Special unit set up to beat modern slavery and human trafficking

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The battle against modern slavery and human trafficking gangs in Greater Manchester has been boosted by a team of police officers dedicated to the fight.

Damian Dallimore, head of serious and organised crime for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has reported that the six-strong team has been set up following additional funding from Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes.

Reporting the city region's police, crime and fire panel, Mr Dalimore explained that investigating such crimes was "complex" and required specialist knowledge and skills. "That team is there to support the victims that we come across," he said. "We move them into safe houses, give them access to health, schools if they have children and skills and employment training if they require them and we will remove them from that immediate threat." Mr Dallimore said key objectives in combatting such crimes are about "arrests and disruption" but also about gaining confidence from the public in the police's ability "to respond and effectively to such criminality". READ MORE:GMP bosses think 'remarkable improvement' could see force out of special measures by end of the year He said that it was "crucial" that there was a broad partnership approach with other agencies to deal with the problem.

The strategy to tackle serious and organised crime in Greater Manchester was launched in "Programme Challenger" in 2013. Mr Dallimore told elected representatives of the panel: "Greater Manchester has a long and successful record in terms of our partnership approach in dealing with this particular form of criminality.