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123 Missing Children Found in Michigan During One-Day Sweep

The effort in particular was aimed at locating victims of sex trafficking.

By Aleanna Siacon

A one-day sweep by multiple law enforcement agencies in Wayne County resulted in the recovery of 123 missing children, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The sweep, dubbed Operation MISafeKid and conducted on Sept. 26, involved the Detroit Missing Child Recovery Unit of the U.S. Marshals Sex Offender Investigations Branch coordinated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- Office of Inspector General, Michigan State Police and law enforcement officers from other Wayne County agencies.

The effort in particular was aimed at locating victims of sex trafficking.

During the one-day operation, out of 301 case files, 123 children were identified and recovered safely. "Three cases were identified as being possible sex trafficking cases, and one homeless teen was transported back to the command post after it was discovered that he had not had anything to eat in three days. He was then debriefed and turned over to Child Protective Services for aftercare," the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release.

The agency said the sweep was the first operation of its kind in Wayne County.

"The message to the missing children and their families that we wish to convey is that we will never stop looking for you," a release said.

(c)2018 the Detroit Free Press

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