A YEAR-LONG probe to bust a Costa Blanca gang that sexually exploited women has resulted in seven arrests and the freeing of 11 victims.
Following months of surveillance, five raids were carried out on addresses in Denia and Els Poblets.
The Guardia Civil and the Policia Nacional seized €50k in cash, 100 grams of cocaine, three cars, and electronic devices.
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They also discovered ledgers outlining the earnings of victims who were forced into prostitution.
Investigations started when the police found a potential victim of human trafficking at Madrid airport.
She told officers about a group based in Denia that recruited women for sexual exploitation.
They lured in victims in their country of origin, Colombia in most cases, and took advantage of their vulnerability and need for money.
The gang financed the women’s journey to Spain through loans with exorbitant interest rates, creating a bogus debt that the victims were forced to repay through prostitution.
The detainees are accused of human trafficking, membership in a criminal organization, offences against public health, violations of workers’ rights, facilitating irregular migration, and money laundering.
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