Agents of the National Police and the Mossos d’Esquadra have dismantled a transnational criminal organization allegedly dedicated to trafficking in women by arresting four people in Sabadell (Barcelona) and two in Alcorcón (Madrid), decreeing provisional detention for the latter two .
The network, based mainly in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona, ??allegedly recruited very young women of Bosnian and Croatian origin to force them into prostitution and commit theft. There are four women released.
In the operation with the collaboration of Europol and the Ministry of the Interior in Germany, three house searches have been carried out in which, among other objects, four diamonds and seven luxury watches valued at 655,000 euros have been intervened. The investigation has determined that the disjointed network was part of a broader group of organizations made up of clans of Bosnian origin spread throughout Europe dedicated to the commission of various crimes.
The dismantled organization recruited women in their places of origin and at a very young age. Taking advantage of their low sociocultural and economic level, they were deceived with false promises of a better life outside their country and with obtaining an income with which to help their families. To further strengthen these connections, according to the Police, the leaders did not hesitate to sell their own underage daughters, marrying men from other clans.
However, the reality was different, and once inside the organization, in an environment of “extreme violence against them” that sometimes resulted in sexual assaults, the women were dispossessed of their will and subjugated by exploiters who demanded that they a large amount of money weekly, in some cases up to 5,000 euros, which they had to obtain by working as prostitutes and committing theft.
Three house searches have been carried out, one in the Madrid town of Alcorcón and two in the Barcelona town of Sabadell, in which seven watches valued at 495,000 euros, four diamonds valued at 160,000 euros, a vehicle, 6,015 euros and 771 dollars have been intervened. in cash, various gold jewelry, numerous electronic and computer devices and abundant documentation relevant to the investigation.
