A record number of over 5,000 potential victims of modern slavery and trafficking were referred to UK authorities last year, according to the NCA Report. British nationals made up the highest number of cases for the first time, followed by people from Albania and Vietnam.
A notable statistic is the rise in the number of children thought to be victims which rose by 66% from 2016. Perhaps it is of some reassurance that the agency suggests that increase in referrals was "driven by greater awareness" of the problem.
One reason for the increase in the numbers of children that are thought to be victims of trafficking and modern slavery is the growth of the "County Lines" method of dugs supply which uses children to courier Class A drugs from the city bases of the drugs gang to rural and coastal towns.
Investigators said this was largely the reason for the rise in the number of UK nationals involved - up to 819 last year from 326 in 2016.
Last year, 5,145 potential victims of trafficking and slavery were flagged up to the National Referral Mechanism, which identifies and supports victims, the highest number recorded by the UK authorities since the figures were first compiled in 2009 - and a 35% rise from 2016.
The report found that forced labour accounted for 2,352 cases - almost half of all referrals and that in a third of cases (1,744) it was suspected that people had been exploited for sexual purposes.
More than 2,000 children (2,118) were referred for help, compared with 1,278 the previous year.
Will Kerr, NCA director, told the BBC that greater reporting of modern slavery was behind the overall rise in referrals but that the figures "almost certainly represent an underestimate of the true scale" in the UK.
He added that authorities were dealing with an "evolving threat" as criminals go into online spaces - particularly "adult services websites", to enable their offending.