Airplanes & Human Trafficking

[Unofficial Reverand Alex]

"And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: "I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD."" --Exodus 6​

Here's a great article from a flight attendant who learned things to watch for to notice human trafficking. She talks about training that flight attendants are now receiving (thank God!), and also about noticing how many massage parlors can be used for hubs of prostitution for trafficked victims.

What being a flight attendant taught me about human trafficking

I've included a few paragraphs, so if you don't have the time or patience to read a 10-minute article you can at least read some of the signs to look for:

A few years ago, my airline started training us on spotting telltale signs of human trafficking on the plane. Can the passenger speak for themselves, or is someone with them controlling what they say? Does the passenger avoid eye contact? Do they appear fearful, anxious, tense, depressed, nervous, submissive? Are they dressed inappropriately, or do they have few possessions — even on a long flight? Can the passenger move independently, or are they accompanied by someone seemingly controlling their every movement?

...

I started with the signs of a fake massage parlor: Security cameras outside, customers getting buzzed in. Windows covered with bars, boards or dark curtains, employees who rarely leave the location.

I shared facts, I told them the warning sings, I even shared a story about a neighbor who had called one of these places to schedule a massage. The woman who answered the phone asked if the massage was for her husband. When she said no, the woman on the other end of the phone laughed. Another time, my neighbor asked her manicurist at her favorite nail salon about the foot massage place next door. She told her not to go there — because only men go there.

 

[Messerve]

There was a shady massage parlor set up in an old farmhouse that I would pass on the way to church all the time. Eventually the police raided it and three Asian women were arrested. I don't know if it was a case of sex trafficking or what, but it was surprising to even find out that Asian women were living there, considering it was rural white America... Not that there aren't other nationalities in the area, but it just wasn't something you'd expect really.