Dismantled an international organization that exploited victims captured in Romania through the "lover boy" method
Within the framework of a Joint Investigation Team formed by the National Police and the Civil Guard in Spain, the Police of Italy and Romania and coordinated by Eurojust with the collaboration of Europol
The organization, which manipulated women through emotional blackmail and coercion to convince them that they could not live without their captors, came to obtain a benefit of more than 5,000,000 euros
Once deceived with false emotional relationships, they were transferred to different destinations in the European Union such as Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland and Slovenia with the sole purpose of practicing prostitution in private clubs and flats
Thirteen exploited women have been released and 16 people arrested for crimes of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, money laundering and belonging to a criminal organization
The investigation began within the framework of a Joint Investigation Team (ECI) formed by the Civil Guard and the National Police with the Police of Romania and Italy.
In addition, this group has been coordinated through EUROJUST, which has allowed us to know exactly the scope and branches of this criminal organization in each country, and with the collaboration of EUROPOL due to the magnitude that the criminal organization reached when operating in several countries Europeans, in addition to the volume of benefits they had obtained.
Exploited in nine European countries
This international organization used the method known as "loverboy" with the victims. This procedure consists of the recruitment of women of their same nationality, in this case of Romanian nationality, falling in love with them with the purpose of creating a dependency towards them.
In the first place they were seduced by deception, emotional blackmail and coercion, taking advantage of their situation of need or vulnerability and in many cases thinking that they could no longer live without their captors.
Subsequently, they were transferred to different destinations in Europe -Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland and Slovenia- with the sole objective of forcing them and subjecting them to the exercise of prostitution in different clubs and private floors and thus obtain economic benefits for the criminal organization.
Some members of the criminal group had up to four victims totally deceived at the same time.
To get women to hand over the money they earned through the exercise of prostitution, all those investigated used the same techniques.
Without actually using physical violence, to avoid falling out of love or suspicion of their true intention, they made up false debts or promised to start a family together in Romania, buy a house or buy a new car. With these excuses the victims agreed blinded by the love that they processed.
Luxury cars worth 2,500,000 euros
The evidence collected by the investigating agents demonstrates that members of the criminal group acquired high-end vehicles during their criminal activity worth more than 2,500,000 euros and that the benefit obtained from the sexual exploitation of the victims amounted to more than 5,000,000 euros.
To launder their illegal income, they bought homes and vehicles on behalf of their families, so the police actions have been directed against all the steps of the organization, leaders, middle managers and family members.
In addition the agents have found out that those involved hung photographs of homes and luxury cars on social networks to boast their status.
13 victims released in Malaga
The operation has been executed in two phases, the first one in Romania and the second in the Spanish province of Malaga. In the police device in Romania, officers arrested 12 people, including the leaders of the organization.
In addition 135,000 euros were intervened in cash and various high-end vehicles. In the second phase, carried out a few days later in Malaga, the researchers made three home searches where they arrested four men, two Romanians and two Spaniards.
In turn, two inspections were carried out in hostels where 13 victims of sexual exploitation were released and 7,500 euros were seized in cash, several mobile phones and various documents.
