Traffickers try to exploit N. Africa unrest, experts fear

London (CNN) -- People trafficking syndicates could try to exploit the unrest in North Africa, potentially causing a surge in the number of victims arriving in Europe, experts fear.

The trade in people trafficking is worth $3 billion a year in Europe alone, but organized smuggling syndicates are constantly looking to expand their operations beyond national boundaries, analysts add.

Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency that handles criminal intelligence, says it is now sending experts to Italy to see if syndicates are trying to take advantage of violent protests on the other side of the Mediterranean.

Italy has long been at the forefront of Europe's battle to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, due to the close proximity of some of its islands to the African coast. The current influx to Italy -- nearly 10,000 migrants since the start of 2011 -- is much higher than in previous years.

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"I think there's an important dynamic around the external border of the EU, Turkey, central Asia republics and now of course North Africa and the Middle East," Europol's director Robert Wainwright told CNN Tuesday.

"We have experts on the ground in Italy working with the Italian authorities right now to try to identify any signs that organized crime, even terrorist organizations, are trying to exploit the situation in North Africa in particular and the upsurge in the migratory flows that we've seen in recent weeks.

"We haven't seen any strong indications yet but we're working very hard to see the extent to which organized crime might be doing that."

Europol's warning follows a similar one by the United Nations refugee agency that people trying to flee Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and other countries where protests have taken place this year, will be fair game for those trying to profit from their fear and misery.

"Obviously, smugglers' business is seeing big opportunities to exploit the situation," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters in Geneva on February 15.

"As said in Tunisia, we are very concerned. We are hearing the smugglers are not only hanging out at the ports waiting for people to come, but they are actually moving inland and seeking out people falsely advertising what they could offer, what kind of futures they could offer to young Tunisians frustrated and wishing to move on," Fleming added, according to reports.

There are about 270,000 trafficking victims in Europe at any one time, according to Europol. Many of these people come to Europe hoping for a better future but end up becoming coerced into sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Money is the driving force, Europol's Wainwright said, adding that trafficking syndicates are constantly looking to diversify and improve their operations.

Despite this, European law enforcement officials have had some successes. Last year they carried out 500 operations against crime syndicates organizing trafficking and sexual exploitation. One operation, against a Romanian gang allegedly trafficking Roma children, culminated in the arrest of 120 suspects, Wainwright said.

CNN's Atika Shubert contributed to this report.