Long. From July, but still interesting, I think. A taste:
[Dawn] In the absence of strict checks, agents freely advertise services to "attract customers" via TikTok, YouTube and Facebook."Great game of Baba Haji. [Our] group has reached Italia non-stop. The game is direct. We reached Italia in 8 to 9 hours ... The trip was great and so is the game," said a man with his smartphone’s selfie camera turned on as he attested to the "quality service" of a human trafficker who transported him illegally from Romania.
He made the video while the rest of his group members, around 10 in total, disembarked from a van. The 16-second-long clip posted on April 30 has over two million views and 17,000 likes.
This was one of the 53 videos posted by the account @buttgujratwale. The account, apparently active since April, has over 19,000 followers and 164,000 likes on its videos.
The account, like several others, is operated by a human trafficker active on TikTok. While most traffickers keep their dealings covert, some have ventured to exploit the limitless reach of social media.
They use these platforms to advertise their services to potential clients who are contemplating taking these perilous journeys. The videos work as a testimonial to their "foolproof services".
In absence of strict checks, agents freely advertise services, ’attract customers’ via TikTok, YouTube, etc
These traffickers move people illegally across Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...and then put them on camera to say how hassle-free the journey was. These reviews convince more people who then contact the trafficker.
Apparently, their marketing is quite effective. The video mentioned above has 408 comments, many of them asking for more details about the journey and the cost.
The administrators of these accounts direct inquisitive customers to TikTok’s inbox or ask them to contact the WhatsApp number present in their bio.