The National Police has broken up two Rumanian gangs engaged in forcing women into prostitution and who even tattooed their women with bar codes to show ownership and ‘debts’ owed.
One group operated on the Marconi industrial estate and in calle Montera in Madrid, strictly controlling the women, referred to variously as ‘bags’, ‘packages’ and ‘bicycles’. In an apartment block in calle Montera, the women worked on different floors and the gang even monitored them while they were performing their services in order to immediately collect the fees.
The leader of this gang was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued in Rumania for similar activities. Other members of the gang also engaged in other nefarious activities, such as robbing pedestrians and drug trafficking.
The second group, operating in Getafe, was run by the nephew of the leader of the Madrid gang and they also tattooed the wrists of the women under their control.
A total of 14 people were arrested, including the two gang leaders, and police seized a variety of firearms, machetes, swords, five vehicles, artworks, jewellery and €140,000 in cash.