Brasília - The traffic in human beings has become a growth industry which is now seen as organized crime's third biggest business worldwide. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international commerce in women and children is worth something between US$7 billion and US$9 billion annually. And it is estimated that the profit margin in illegally transporting a person from one country to another is in the neighborhood of US$30,000.

Brazil and other developing nations are the prime source of people for the illegal commerce that moves them into rich nations. According to a coordinator at the UNODC, Reiner Pungs, the main receptor countries for Brazilian women and children are Portugal, Spain and Italy. "Unfortunately, Brazil remains a source of raw material for this illegal commerce," says Pungs.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Monique Colares
Translator: Allen Bennett
11/30/2004