Agents of the National Police, the Civil Guard, the Colombian Police and INTERPOL, as exclusively reported by La Voz, have dismantled a criminal organization of Colombian origin, based in Spain and dedicated to the trafficking of human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
In total, 18 victims, mainly of Colombian origin, have been freed. They were recruited in their country of origin to be sexually exploited in Spain and had their personal documentation removed until they paid a debt of up to 3,400 euros.
11 people have been arrested in Almendralejo (Badajoz) and seven in Arrecife (Lanzarote), of which six have already been imprisoned.
The police investigation began after hearing a statement from one of the victims who warned of the existence of a criminal network, of a family nature, based in the province of Badajoz and on the island of Lanzarote, which was dedicated to recruiting women in Colombia to be sent and sexually exploited in Spain.
In Badajoz and Lanzarote
The criminal organization recruited the victims in their country of origin, mainly Colombia, based on criteria of poverty, need and special vulnerability, due to the lack of work and income, offering them a better life in Spain to cover their personal and family needs.
The victims were transported by plane, with the network taking care of all expenses related to their transfer, passport processing, ticket purchase, the provision of a sum of money as a daily allowance (around 1,000 euros) and the procedures for crossing borders. In return, the victims assumed an economic debt that could amount to 3,400 euros, withdrawing their personal documentation until it was paid off.
Once in Spain, the women were transferred directly to a club in Lanzarote or picked up at the Madrid airport through a shared vehicle service that took them to the town of Almendralejo (Badajoz), where the organization had a house-club, in order to be subjected to the exercise of prostitution.
The exploiters also used to exchange women between the different premises and apartments they had in Badajoz and the island of Lanzarote.
Victims available 24 hours a day
During the investigation, different statements were obtained from victims who stated that they were obliged to be available 24 hours a day, having a maximum of one or two hours free, being penalized financially if they did not comply. In addition, they were forced to ask customers to invite them to drinks and to offer them narcotics and medications, being permanently monitored by security cameras located in the common areas where everything that happened in the house was recorded.
Six entries and searches have been carried out, three in the town of Almendralejo (Badajoz) and three in the town of Arrecife (Lanzarote), and more than 30,000 euros in cash, 32 doses of narcotic substance (cocaine), more than 130 pills for erectile dysfunction, six mobile phones, as well as various documentation and computer material related to the investigation have been seized.
The operation has culminated with the release of 18 victims of sexual exploitation, 11 in the town of Almendralejo (Badajoz) and seven in Arrecife (Lanzarote) and with the arrest of 18 people, of which six have already been imprisoned, who are charged with the crimes of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, coercive prostitution, drug trafficking, distribution of medicines, against the rights of foreign citizens, crime against the right of workers and membership of a criminal organization.
Agents of the National Police and Civil Guard, members of the OIPC-Interpol and investigators of the Colombian National Police have participated in the deployed device. It has also had the support of the NGO "Our Rescue", dedicated to the fight against trafficking in human beings and child exploitation with which the Spanish Police Foundation maintains a collaboration agreement.
With trafficking there is no deal
The National Police has the telephone line 900105090 and the email trata@policia.es to facilitate citizen collaboration and the anonymous and confidential reporting of this type of crime, the call not being reflected in the telephone bill.
