National Police officers have arrested 19 people as alleged members of a criminal organisation dedicated to the sexual exploitation of women and the sale of narcotics.
The criminal network operated in flats in Seville, Utrera and Alcalá de Guadaíra where, allegedly, they offered clients the sexual services of women who were captured in their country of origin and transferred to Spain as tourists to practice prostitution. 23 victims have been released, the majority of Colombian nationality, who had to pay the organisation the debt incurred, which amounted to approximately 8,000 euro each.
Prostitution in flats
The investigation began in May of this year when the agents learned of an organisation allegedly dedicated to capturing women in their country of origin, picking them up at their destination, and taking them to safe flats where they were prostituted.
After various steps, the agents verified that the members of the organisation were of Colombian nationality and were related to one family. The head of the organisation, a 54-year-old woman who had the collaboration of her ex-husband and other close relatives, covered the expenses incurred for the victims’ travel and placed the exploited women on the different floors, in addition to acting as a liaison with the country of origin where they were captured.
Sale of narcotics
The organisation had the possibility of selling narcotics to clients, specifically cocaine, which was prepared in small doses on the different floors where it offered sexual services. Furthermore, such drug use was encouraged by the victims themselves to increase the time they were exposed to sexual services and to keep women more active. The victims lived under appalling health conditions, with up to twelve people living in the same room. The organisation charged the victims for accommodation and food.
The agents carried out seven simultaneous searches in flats -Sevilla, Utrera and Alcalá de Guadaíra-, six of them that were used for the exploitation of women and storage of narcotics. In total, 82,000 euro in notes and 50 grams of cocaine have been seized, distributed and prepared in bags to serve clients and victims.
The agents have released 23 sexually exploited women, mostly of Colombian origin, who lived in subhuman conditions and who were controlled at all times by the dismantled network. The organisation included sexual services outside the home, the victims being personally transferred by the criminal organisation.
The detainees are charged with the crimes of belonging to a criminal organisation dedicated to human trafficking and sexual exploitation, a crime against public health, against the rights of foreign citizens and against workers. In addition, one of the detainees is accused of sexual assault on a victim, which he took advantage of more than four times.
