Romania-Spain trafficking connection falls

Spanish and Romanian authorities, supported by the EU Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust), dismantled a brutal Romanian organised crime group involved in trafficking young Romanian women into forced prostitution in sex clubs in Alicante and Madrid, Spain, with all the money earned by the women taken by the organised crime group members.

Two coordinated actions were carried out against the organizsed crime group, the first in the Alicante region of Spain on 23 and 24 January, and the second in the Ploiesti region of Romania yesterday, February the 9th.

The operation identified 14 women who were victims of Human Trafficking in Spain, and 5 more in Romania. More than 20 houses were serached both in Spain and in Romania, 15 people were arrested, and the police seized autombiles, credit cards, laptops, and bank accounts were frozen. 

The Spanish action days involved the issuance of restraining orders, the blocking of bank accounts, the closing of premises and the seizing of assets. Romanian authorities were present during the Spanish actions to gather the evidence needed to issue European Arrest Warrants against the eight principal Romanian targets.

A Europol expert was present during the action days to provide real-time cross-checks of data.

POLICE FOLLOWED THEM SINCE 2013

The criminal network was under investigation in Spain since mid-2013, with the involvement of Specialised Police Units in Trafficking in Human Beings from the National Police, as well as a financial investigation. Surveillance, including telephone intercepts, led to the identification of additional members and associates of the crime group, based in Romania or of Romanian nationality. Against this background, Investigative Judge Number 3 in Denia, Spain, requested the assistance of Eurojust to facilitate the execution of letters of request and coordination of activities.

A joint investigation team involving police and judicial authorities from Spain, Romania, Eurojust and Europol was formed. Eurojust further assisted the Spanish and Romanian national authorities in devising a common strategy, planning the action days, and identifying and avoiding potential conflict of jurisdiction issues.

Pursuant to an agreement between the national authorities involved, which was again facilitated by Eurojust, all criminal proceedings, including those currently on-going in Spain, will be transferred to Romania.

SPAIN: PROSTITUTION PRODUCES 5 MILLION EURO EVERY DAY

According to United Nations, prostitution in Spain alone produces 5 million Euro every day.

In the whole European continent, prostitution produces 2,280 Million Euro every year.