This report concerns a criminal network operating in Spain that targeted women for trafficking, with serious crimes including sexual exploitation, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Five individuals were detained during the operation, and seven foreign nationals were released as part of the inquiry. The scheme promised jobs as cooks, offering around 12 hours of work each day for roughly 33 euros in daily wages, plus room and board.
What unfolded was a calculated lure that drew vulnerable women into a cycle of coercion and abuse. Upon arrival in Barcelona, women linked to the alleged operation were guided to a secluded kitchen area by a member of the organization. There, they were required to surrender their passports and mobile phones and were locked in a basement area, effectively preventing any immediate escape. The group had recruited victims in Colombia by presenting attractive, misleading terms that ultimately proved to be false.
The network facilitated the relocation of young women into Spain by bypassing border controls and entry requirements. They arranged return travel and hotel accommodations along with indicating they possessed sufficient funds, enabling the victims to enter Spain as tourists. Once landed at the airport, the same members would meet them and transport them to the places where exploitation occurred, far from the innocent exterior they presented.
surveillance camera
Inside an apartment in Sabadell, abuses were perpetrated under constant surveillance. Security cameras monitored every movement, allowing the criminals to control the victims around the clock. The victims were kept under strict watch, with arrangements that aimed to ensure availability at all hours and scheduling that accommodated any early-morning client visits. The victims lived in crowded, unsanitary rooms and shared beds, a scene described by law enforcement as a deliberate attempt to subordinate the victims and normalize subservience.
In this operation, the organization functioned like a call center, coordinating phone communications, connecting clients with available girls, and setting the rates and payment methods. Victims were kept under tight control, and even ordinary activities outside the home required permission. The exploitation extended only to areas close to where the abuse occurred, and the number of victims permitted to move freely gradually diminished over time. When did not conform to the exploiters’ expectations or failed to adhere to rules, they faced financial penalties and renewed coercion.
medicines
Another troubling aspect was the coercive use of drugs and the forced sexual activity that continued even when victims showed signs of illness or pain. Some victims faced harmful actions by clients who forced themselves on them when their own demands were not met.
On March 6, police conducted searches of two properties in Sabadell, resulting in the arrest of five members of the network and the rescue of seven trafficking victims. Authorities also identified up to thirteen additional potential victims during the course of the investigation.
During the operation, the Barcelona Superior Headquarters and the Alicante Brigade seized extensive documentary materials tied to the offenses, including victim service records and telephone directories, along with mobile devices and various computer equipment. Cash and several narcotic substances, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis, were confiscated from the facilities involved. The detainees face charges related to human trafficking for sexual exploitation, money laundering, and drug trafficking. After court appearances, two suspects were remanded and three were subjected to protective measures pending further proceedings.