Five women freed from sexual exploitation

FIVE women were freed in a joint operation between Guardia Civil and National Police against human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

In an operation codenamed Carpatos-Liberty-Luboca, seven people were arrested for their involvement with a criminal organization and five women were released from working in prostitution against their will.

The officers searched nine premises in Caspe, Zaragoza, and one in Barcelona.

The investigation began in June 2019 following a statement from a protected witness who claimed to be the victim of a criminal gang that was sexually exploiting women.

In October 2019, another investigation began following the attack on an 18-year-old pregnant woman in Caspe, who, while being transferred to hospital, revealed that she had no ID on her because it had been taken away from her, and she had not been for any check-ups during her pregnancy. It was discovered that she worked at an escort club with no insurance and that part of the money she earned was given to the Madame, who would also take her home after work so she could have no contact with clients off the premises.

The investigation went on for several months until several people belonging to the organization were identified.

Their victims were recruited in their country of origin by a person residing in there, who seduced them, promised them a better life in Spain, then forced them to undergo breast augmentation surgery and gave them a plane ticket and all the documents they needed to get into Spain.

This was done with the help of family members living there who took them to the surgeon and gave them the plane tickets, as well as instructions on what to say at border controls.

Once here, the women were collected by members of the organization and forced to work in prostitution in Spain and in Germany, in order to pay off a debt of between €10,000 and €12,000. They were constantly threatened and told their families would be harmed if they did not pay the debt. They suffered abuse from the man who had initially lured them into the situation, which were masked as gender violence from their partner if reported.

Other members of the organization controlled businesses through which money from the sexual exploitation was laundered, such as a pizzeria and a gym where banned anabolic substances were sold.

The detainees are charged with trafficking human being for sexual exploitation, promoting illegal immigration, money laundering and drug trafficking.

Weapons, drugs, anabolic substances and more than €25,000 in cash were seized as well as documents which are being examined by experts from the National Police and the Guardia Civil. The head of the organisation used forged ID, carried weapons and had security personnel.

Further arrests cannot yet be ruled out.

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