Police in the East Flanders city of Aalst uncovered a suspected prostitution ring on Tuesday inside a building officially registered as student housing.
Six young women working illegally and a seventh person flagged by authorities were found during the late-night operation, which involved the Immigration Office and the Flemish Social Inspection Service.
Mayor Christoph D’Haese described the case as "a new and worrying criminal development." The women, from Colombia, Brazil and Spain, were staying and working without valid residence permits. Several were issued orders to leave the country, while the seventh person was taken in for questioning.
The rooms, rented out as student flats, were being leased at highly inflated prices. "These young women had to pay around 500 euros a week or more for a single room," D'Haese said.
Authorities have since sealed the building, which lacked proper urban planning permits for commercial activity. "The property was officially registered as student housing, but there was no authorisation for any other type of use," the mayor said. "The city will impose every possible administrative sanction."
D'Haese added that the case shows how criminal networks exploit student properties to evade detection. "We must hit these landlords hard. Those who profit from the misery of others have no place in our city."
The public prosecutor's office has not yet become involved, but officials are investigating the role of the property owner and possible wider connections.
