Lepa Jankovic

Jassy Bindra
Born 1968

Police career

Current status Immigration and Passport officer
Department Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Country Canada
Rank Constable

Constable Lepa Jankovic (born 1968)[1] is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.[2] She first started working for the Government of Canada as a customs officer at Niagara Falls' Rainbow Bridge in 1996.[3] As of 2012, she works in the Immigration and Passport unit.[4] In December 2009, she discovered what was, at the time, Canada's largest known human trafficking criminal organization.[1] In September 2011, Jankovic attended Toronto's second annual Freedom Walk. At this event aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking nationally and internationally, Jankovic was joined by such other abolitionists as Natasha Falle, founder of Sex Trade 101; Trisha Baptie, co-founder of EVE; Shae Invidiata, founder of Free-Them; Tara Teng, who was Miss Canada at the time; Timea Nagy, a former sex trafficking victim; Member of Parliament (MP) Joy Smith; MP Olivia Chow; and MP Terence Young.[5] Jankovic participated in the following year's Freedom Walk as well.[6] In 2012, Toni Skarica said that Ferenc Karadi, a member of the human trafficking ring Jankovic had discovered, should have been arrested even before the ring was discovered because it was known to Canada's police forces since September 2009 that Karadi was wanted for crimes committed in Hungary. Skarica accused the involved immigration and police officials, including Jankovic, with negligence for not having arrested Karadi in 2009. Jankovic responded that only an Interpol warrant can give police the power to arrest someone who is wanted to face criminal charges in another country.[7] Jozsef Csorom had been hired as a hitman to kill Jankovic for her involvement in revealing the ring, but he was prevented from travelling to Canada by police in England.[8] Also in 2012, Vic Toews congratulated Jankovic on her work on the human trafficking ring case, which was the largest human trafficking case in the history of Canada.[9] She and fellow officer Husam Farah conducted this criminal investigation for three years.[10]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Adrian Morrow (April 6, 2012). "Bringing down Canada's massive human-trafficking ring". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  2. ↑ Nicole O'Reilly (September 12, 2011). "Teen pleads guilty in slavery case: Linked to "an invasion of evil"". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Lepa Jankovic". Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Units. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ Rob Lamberti (March 2, 2012). "Human trafficking kingpin to be deported". Toronto Sun. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Free-Them fundraiser". Oakville Beaver. August 10, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  6. ↑ "RCMP Red in a Sea of Purple at the 3rd Annual Freedom Walk". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Nicole O'Reilly (February 17, 2012). "Third in human trafficking ring pleads guilty: Ferenc Karadi sentenced to six years behind bars". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Nicole O'Reilly (April 5, 2012). "Victims fearful of hit man". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Toews in Ancaster to promote details of Canada's National Action Plan to combat Human Trafficking". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Death threats and international crime rings: Hear about the courageous work of investigating human trafficking on Feb 23". Alliance Against Modern Slavery. Retrieved June 10, 2013.