Police in southeastern Alicante, Spain, on Sunday announced the arrest of 48 individuals and the rescue of 48 women, mainly from Colombia and Venezuela, during a series of raids on eight properties, including three brothels.

According to the police, the victims, mostly from South America, were lured to Spain with false job offers. The ringleaders, a Spanish man and two Colombian women, are accused of abduction over 1,000 women in the past year. Upon arrival in Spain, these women were forced into sexual exploitation at various locations disguised as boarding houses or hostels.

The rescued women were subjected to forced labor, constant video surveillance, and strict limitations on their movement, with a maximum of two hours allowed outside each day.

The operation, which took place in Alicante and Murcia, resulted in the closure of three strip clubs, seizure of 17 properties, confiscation of weapons, €150,000 in cash, and blocking of bank accounts containing €938,000. Six of the arrested individuals remain in pre-trial detention, while the others were released on bail. Among the arrested were property managers and taxi drivers who transported the women between locations.

The discovery of this transnational trafficking network was initiated by an anonymous tip to a dedicated police hotline. Police reported receiving 8,051 citizen complaints last year, with 1,025 providing valuable operational information.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/spain-busts-south-american-sex-trafficking-pipeline/a-71720892?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf