This study aims to analyze the legal obstacles faced by the criminal justice system in handling human trafficking crimes and to analyze efforts to optimize the performance of the criminal justice system in handling human trafficking crimes (TPPO). This study is a normative legal study, using a Statute Approach. Approach), Conceptual Approach (Conceptual Approach), Case Approach (Case Approach), and Sociological Approach (Sociological Approach). The technique of collecting legal materials with literature study and analysis of legal materials with descriptive analysis, the reasoning used is deductive reasoning. The results of the study indicate that the legal obstacles of the criminal justice system in handling TPPO include the difficulty of proving the articles in Law No. 21 of 2007, weak SOP for police investigations, back and forth files of the Prosecutor's Office, lack of database, misinterpretation of law enforcement officers, weak government-regional coordination, no special prison guidance, complicated trial evidence, officers involved, minimal understanding of TPPO Articles, low community participation. Efforts to optimize the performance of the criminal justice system in handling TPPO includes adaptation procedural law, and implementation rule implementer, improvements to legal structure with a database based on UNODC, coordination government-apparatus with human resource training, as well as cooperation national international cross- border, socialization awareness community about TPPO, confidentiality identity witnesses and victims, and education role public in prevention, priority of legal remedies for appeals, cassation and judicial review of TPPO cases.