In an address to a special committee on crime at the European Parliament, the European Union’s (EU) anti-trafficking coordinator, Myria Vassiliadou, said that “those capable of controlling the entire trafficking process, including high-end corruption and money laundering, are behind human trafficking.” The EUobserver reported that Vassiliadou referred to human trafficking as “the slavery of our times.” The article also quoted a statement from the EU police agency Europol: “The criminal gangs involved have well-established logistical bases and contacts in source, transit, and destination countries.” The EUobserver noted that human trafficking is “a lucrative business,” with “estimates on the global profit generated every year hover[ing] at around €25 billion.” As Vassiliadou said, “We need to take away the financial incentives and go after the organised criminal networks.”