World · 2026-10-29 · Afternoon briefing

Dozens stranded in Guinea-Bissau after trafficking ring dismantled

Police in Guinea-Bissau have dismantled a suspected human trafficking network, leaving around 70 victims from across West Africa stranded. The operation on October 21st, which used information from Interpol, uncovered a scheme that lured people with false promises of jobs and onward migration to Europe.

Victims paid traffickers significant sums for the journey. One man from Guinea paid the equivalent of €1,000, while others were charged between 400,000 and 700,000 CFA francs. Once in Guinea-Bissau, some faced abuse; a 21-year-old woman from Sierra Leone reported an attempted rape by members of the network.

Now unable to afford their own passage home, the victims remain in limbo. According to the head of Guinea-Bissau's Human Rights League, there are no public shelters available. The country's migration authority also lacks the funds for their repatriation. This follows a similar operation in May when authorities rescued 60 other foreign nationals.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

Read the sources

• Human trafficking victims stranded in Guinea-Bissau

More stories in this edition

1. Russian drone strike on Ukraine station kills at least 14
2. China's Communist Party expels record 33 members in purge
3. ECB holds interest rate at 2.5% despite inflation surge
4. Alphabet shares suffer record drop on AI and cash flow concerns
5. Brain rewiring tools successfully alter animal behaviour
6. Canada plugs into EU's €8.2bn supercomputer grid
7. Former minister Fátima Báñez among 69 dead in Spain train crash
8. Komatsu raises profit forecast on strong Americas demand
9. Indonesian driver commission cap cuts GoTo's profit by a quarter

Read the whole edition