Man arrested for human trafficking in southwest Kansas

A man has been arrested for suspected human trafficking after a van carrying 14 people was stopped in southwest Kansas, police said.

An officer who “suspected criminal activity” stopped a van Thursday as it drove through Liberal on U.S. 54 according to a local television station.

Investigators found 14 people inside the van, some stacked on top of each other in the trunk, Liberal police said in a news release.

“The subsequent investigation revealed fourteen passengers were being smuggled through the United States by a criminal organization,” police said.

Police arrested a 23-year-old man on a requested charge of human trafficking. His name was not released.