Car crashes aren’t typically one of those things you associate with a silver lining. After all, crash-related fatalities typically number over 40,000 per year in the US. However, this crash managed to do some good, namely, drawing attention to eight “potential victims of modern-day slavery” and human trafficking. 

A car crash in Devon, Great Britain, led police to the discovery and treatment of eight possible victims of human trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the great tragedies of modern times. Every year, criminals abduct, transport, and enslave victims against their will. Consequently, law enforcement agencies like INTERPOL are constantly on the hunt for the evildoers of trafficking. But sometimes, police just catch a break and stumble onto these criminals and their prey.

According to the BBC, a van and a truck collided on Dolvin Road in Tavistock, Devon. At a glance, there’s nothing out of the ordinary there. However, when police inspected the van, they found something sinister. “As part of our response to the initial incident, we identified several of the occupants of the van as being potential victims of exploitation offenses,” Police Sergeant Tom Ottley said.

“Shortly after, officers carried out a search at an address in the Gulworthy area which led to the identification of further potential victims.” All said and done, the police ended up taking eight victims into protective custody. Fortunately, the searches turned up six suspects. The authorities arrested the men on the spot for their connection to the human trafficking crimes.

It’s a fortunate resolution to what would have been an ongoing nightmare for the victims involved. However, many systems of modern-day slavery and involuntary servitude continue on, despite the efforts of international law enforcement agencies. If you suspect that you’ve encountered signs of human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or use the official website.