National Police authorities reported that 12 women were rescued in two separate operations targeting two criminal organizations involved in sexual exploitation and drug trafficking in Madrid, Spain.
In total, 16 individuals suspected of coercing these women into forced labor were apprehended. The victims were kept in precarious conditions, under constant surveillance and surveillance-driven control that allowed the operators to manage the exploitation around the clock.
Police teams conducted registrations at four addresses in the capital and across three buildings in the Corredor del Henares region, seizing a wide array of narcotics, distribution materials, two vehicles, and approximately 30,000 euros in cash.
The investigation into the Madrid-based network began in November of the previous year after authorities learned that a minor was being held in a residence in the city.
Reports received by phone about trafficking situations suggested that up to six women resided within the same property.
The victims were forced into prostitution under dire conditions, 24 hours a day, with entry and exit strictly controlled and cameras recording activity across several rooms in the building.
Further inquiries indicated that these women were recruited at nightclubs in Madrid, enticed with promises of modeling work at private events or through social networks.
The members of the criminal network structured their services with a clear division of responsibilities, setting prices and appointment times with clients and presenting the women on explicit web pages.
The organization exploited the vulnerable status of these women, including some with irregular immigration status, to sustain the criminal operation.
Beyond coercing prostitution, the group forced victims to participate in drug trafficking, either by handling substances at their homes with clients or by transporting drugs to locations.
Eight victims released in three operations
Investigators then plotted an operation to dismantle the network, carrying out three searches across different areas of Madrid on March 24.
Among those detained were two leaders of the network who faced imprisonment. It was established that their living standards were elevated, with income supposedly earned through an online clothing business used to justify wealth. They also owned a high-capacity vehicle used to transport women to appointments and to move drugs.
The searches recovered various narcotics, drugs, and sexual enhancement products, along with other related items. Ongoing inquiries aim to identify further victims and to understand the full extent of the crimes.
Networks operating from South America
A second criminal group connected to the Corredor del Henares was dismantled weeks later. The offenders extended their exploitation beyond prostitution and drug trafficking by creating a human trafficking network that recruited victims in South American countries, offered fake job opportunities, and transported them to Spain. They exploited the victims within three Madrid-area buildings.
Network members coordinated with accomplices in the victims’ countries of origin to facilitate the journey, arranging travel documents, hotel bookings, and cash transfers so the women could reach Spain.
Upon arrival in Spain, some victims were told they carried a disease and faced substantial debts linked to their travel, forcing them to perform sexual services and participate in drug-related activities under the same coercive conditions.
Police investigations led to searches at several homes, including three in the Corredor del Henares and one in Madrid, resulting in the release of four victims and the detention of eight individuals who appeared in court on charges related to human trafficking, membership in a criminal organization, prostitution, rights violations for foreign nationals, and public health concerns. The seizures included narcotics, trafficking tools, two vehicles, and about 25,000 euros in cash, among other items.
The National Police stress that the most effective way to support trafficking victims is to report suspicious activity to authorities. Anyone who has witnessed or knows of a situation matching these characteristics should contact the police through official channels. Sharing information responsibly helps protect potential victims and bring perpetrators to justice.