The National Police have dismantled an organisation involved in the sexual exploitation of Paraguayan women in Bilbao, Vitoria, Santander and Pamplona, with eleven people so far arrested.
The women, mostly from poorer areas, were recruited in Paraguay and brought to Spain under the pretext of obtaining gainful employment. Once in Spain they were forced to work as prostitutes in Bilbao, Vitoria, Santander and Pamplona. They were rotated on a monthly basis to provide ‘new blood’ for clients.
The organisation forced the women to open bank accounts for the purpose of sending money back to Paraguay to repay the ‘debt’ they owed. In Spain, the women were strictly controlled and members of the organisation patrolled the corridors of apartments and villas where the women worked, taking their earnings and correcting the behaviour of anyone breaking the rules.
Around 100 women were brought into Spain by the organisation and they made over one million euros last year, laundering the cash through fifteen companies involved in advertising and high-end motor vehicles.
Eleven people were arrested in Spain and twelve in Paraguay. Seventeen women were rescued during the operation. The investigation into this organisation began in August 2011 after a complaint made by a Paraguayan woman, a victim of the network.