Dubai: There were only five cases of human trafficking recorded by Dubai Police in the first half of this year.

Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said that the number of human trafficking cases has decreased over the past three years. In 2013, there were 11 cases, 21 in 2012 and 24 in 2011.

He said that none of the cases involved children or organ trade.

Dubai Police recently received a letter of thanks from US and Australian authorities for helping in identifying a Latin American man, who was later arrested in the US, who was wanted on suspicion of human trafficking and money laundering, Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.

The man had been living in one of the emirates for six months after he changed his personal information and entered the UAE using another passport. Maj Gen Al Mansouri clarified that the man did not commit any of these crimes in the UAE.

Colonel Abdul Rahim Shafea, Director of Dubai Police’s Anti-organised crime department, said that one of the five human trafficking cases involved an Arab woman who was being sexually exploited.

He said the woman managed to escape from her captors and seek the police’s help. The woman said that she was told she was coming to Dubai to work in a salon but was shocked when her passport was taken away from her by a gang of three Arab men, who later forced her into performing sexual acts.

The woman was taken to a care centre in Abu Dhabi, and the men were transferred to the public prosecution

Col Shafea said the department of anti-organised crime is divided into three sections: anti-human trafficking, anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering.

He said that there are ongoing discussions at the Federal National Council for amending the law pertaining to money laundering, adding that Dubai Police have already made some suggestions.

“Some of the suggestions included the inclusion of alcohol and drug trafficking as part of money laundering crimes and giving police more jurisdiction over receiving complaints about money laundering alongside the central bank,” he said.