The National Police arrested eleven people after dismantling a sex trafficking ring based in an Alicante villa, and 16 young women were released, six of whom testified as protected witnesses. The victims slept jammed into bunk beds in a basement, while those in command of the ring gave sexual services around the clock, despite the fact that they had set hours every day of the week.
According to the police investigation, the arrested individuals retained 40% of the proceeds from the sexual services. They charged 100 euros for an hour-long service, of which 40 euros were due up front. If a client desired narcotics, they were told to call a woman and sell them.
The operation was carried out in December by Group I of the Unit against Immigration Networks and Document Fraud (UCRIF) in Alicante, and it began in April of last year after receiving information about possible sexual exploitation of women in a villa near the Alicante Provincial Home. Following the operation, a court, at the request of the UCRIF, ordered the brothel to close.
Four officials
The National Police charged the arrested individuals, including four main perpetrators and seven women who assisted them in controlling the prostitution operations in the villa, with human trafficking for sexual exploitation, prostitution, violations of workers’ rights, violations of public health, and criminal organisation, in accordance with their level of participation.
In this case, they were all released on bail, with the exception of one, who was imprisoned due to an outstanding court order to serve a sentence for comparable incidents in the province.
According to sources close to the police investigation, the UCRIF investigation, in which a protected witness initially collaborated and five more victims later joined, revealed that the network, run by a family clan, had women, particularly from South America, held captive and sold drugs and medications for erectile dysfunction in addition to providing sexual services.
Catchment
The network recruited women from both Spain and their native nations in South America. Police accuse individuals involved of taking advantage of the victims’ fragile financial circumstances and immigration status in Spain. The alleged exploiters promised them a lot of money, and when they travelled from their home countries to Madrid, they were met by one of the ringleaders and taken directly to the property in Alicante.
According to evidence provided by protected witnesses, the ladies were kept in the basement, and when clients came to the estate, multiple women would come upstairs for them to choose from. They were unable to refuse any clients and were forced to prostitute themselves even throughout their menstrual cycle.
The cellar where the ladies were held lacked ventilation and a restroom, which was found upstairs. Although there were 16 bunk beds, up to 25 women were often crowded into the basement. They had to wash by 10:00 a.m., and their working hours were 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday. They worked on Sundays from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and outside of those hours, they advertised their availability on websites and ads.
Police have identified the ringleaders as a married couple and their son with his girlfriend. In addition to making eleven arrests, authorities examined the villa where the ladies were sexually exploited, as well as the residence of the couple suspected of being in charge. During the searches, investigators found a high-end cars, 4.41 grams of “tusi” (pink cocaine), roughly €7,000 in cash, erectile dysfunction drugs, mobile phones, and accounting ledgers, among other things.
Author: Derek Appleton
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