The brothel has become a dungeon for 51 girls

The Attica Organized Crime Authority dismantled a transnational human trafficking network. Members of the criminal organization brought girls, mainly from Latin America, to Greece and forced them into prostitution.

Authorities arrested 22 people in Athens and Thessaloniki, of which 11 were members of a criminal organization, and the other 11 worked as staff (including guards) in brothels. At the same time, 51 injured women were rescued, including 48 Colombians, 2 Venezuelans and 1 Albanian, who were provided with assistance and protection by the Greek authorities.

Members two interconnected criminal organizations created a network of search (selection) of womenwho were persuaded to come to Greece, obtaining from them fraudulently and false promises consent to the provision of well-paid work on good terms.

They were settled in apartments and “employed” in brothels, where they were mercilessly exploited. A characteristic feature of the cruelty with which they treated female victims was that, in case of health problems or during menstruation, they were threatened with the removal of travel documents, humiliation and a fine of 100 euros.

Due to the size of the illegal income they received, there was an urgent need to legalize it, which was achieved through the creation of three (3) companies through which they tried to hide the origin of the money they spent lavishly while leading a luxurious life. The ringleaders carried out cooperation and financial negotiations, and two other members acted on behalf of both organizations as recruiters.

The first criminal organization consisted of 9 people whose activities have been carried out since at least July 2020. In total, they maintained twelve brothels, of which ten were in Attica and two in Thessaloniki. They also owned five apartments where victims of sexual exploitation were kept under supervision.

In brothels, women were “sold” for 50 euros. As a pretext – the presence of excessive debt in the amount of 2600 to 2800 euros – they were deprived of their “salary”. The profit that the criminals received from their activities exceeded 160,000 euros per month, of which 130,000 euros came from brothels in Attica.

As part of the operation, searches were carried out in 13 brothels and 10 apartments, where they found and confiscated:

• 13 450 euros,
• hashish,
• brass knuckles and a folding knife,
• dozens of surveillance cameras and recorders,
• dozens of electronic devices (mobile phones, laptops)
• two money counters
• 10 safes,
• a number of documents and handwritten notes relating to the operation of brothels and money laundering.

Victims of the criminal network received assistance and protection. The victims are accommodated in dormitories until the completion of their repatriation, which will be carried out at their request. The arrested were taken to the prosecutor’s office. The Greek law enforcement investigation is being carried out in cooperation with foreign authorities.

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