Nine people have been arrested in France and Spain for their involvement in a structured prostitution network active in both countries, the Interregional Specialised Jurisdiction (JIRS) in Nancy, France, announced on Tuesday.
Two women and two men aged between 31 and 36 were arrested in France by investigators from the Central Office for the Suppression of Human Trafficking (OCRTEH) with the assistance of the territorial services of the national police force. In Spain, four women and one man, aged between 23 and 61, were arrested.
Some of the members of the network were responsible for placing adverts on the Internet and managing contacts with customers via dedicated telephone lines.
The four people arrested in France have been indicted for the crimes of human trafficking and pimping in an organised gang. Three have been remanded in custody and one has been placed under judicial supervision, the JIRS said.
The five people arrested in Spain have been incarcerated pending their handover to the French authorities.
Six victims were identified and interviewed in France, before being taken into the care of an association specialising in victims of human trafficking.
Originally from Latin America, the Caribbean and Romania, they had been taken to France, moved from town to town, and forced to work as prostitutes in apartments rented for short periods of time.
