A French journalist posed as a migrant to secretly infiltrate a human trafficking network in northern France and documented the criminals’ activities. He created a false identity and went to a secret camp in the forest, where he met human traffickers and filmed them using a hidden camera.
The journalist played the role of a Syrian refugee named “Abu Ahmed” whose asylum claim was rejected. He tried to look like other migrants in the area by wearing similar clothes and worn equipment. In the forest camp, he spoke with a trafficker named Abdullah, who did not hide his actions but said he needed to leave quickly.
Frequent changes of phone numbers, the criminals’ vigilance, and the dangerous environment made the investigation difficult. The journalist conducted daily observations in different locations, trying to understand the traffickers’ activities. He also learned the network’s internal slang: migrants were called “nafar” and junior criminals “rebari”.
Several dangerous situations arose during the investigation, but the journalist managed to gather important evidence with his hidden camera. As he left the forest, he paid attention to his safety because the criminals might follow him.
As a result of this investigation, one person was arrested in the UK, opening new opportunities in the fight against human trafficking.
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