Their victims were from Latin America, the Caribbean and Romania. Nine people have been arrested in France and Spain for participating in a “structured network of pimps” active in those two countries, the Special Interregional Justice (Jirs) of Nancy announced on Tuesday.
Two women and two men between the ages of 31 and 36 were arrested in France by investigators of the Central Office for the Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings (OCRTEH) with the help of the territorial services of the national police. Four women and a man, aged between 23 and 61, were arrested in Spain. Some are suspected of broadcasting advertisements on the Internet and customer relationship management using dedicated phone lines.
Apartments are rented for a short period of time
Four people arrested in France have been charged with the crimes of human trafficking by an organized group and pimping by an organized group. Three were placed in pre-trial detention, and one under court supervision, Jirs said. The five people arrested in Spain were detained while they waited to be handed over to the French authorities.
Six victims were identified and interviewed in France before being accepted by an association specialized in the care of victims of human trafficking. Originally from Latin America, the Caribbean and Romania, they were taken to France where they were moved from city to city, forced to work as prostitutes in apartments that the criminal organization rented for a short time. The investigation began in 2022 under the jurisdiction of the State Prosecutor’s Office of Saverne (Bas-Rhin) after the discovery of an apartment intended for prostitution.