Nine individuals have been arrested in Albacete, Alicante, and Valencia during a police operation aimed at dismantling a criminal organisation accused of sexually exploiting South American women. The network reportedly operated a brothel in Alicante and extorted clients through threats of violence and personal blackmail, demanding payments ranging from three hundred to three thousand euros.

The investigation began in mid two thousand and twenty-four following various anonymous alerts received by the National Police’s Victims of Trafficking Service. These reports detailed the existence of a brothel in Alicante where women were allegedly forced into prostitution, and it was noted that the premises also served as a drug distribution point.

As the investigation progressed, police discovered that the criminal organisation was simultaneously extorting individuals who responded to advertisements for the sexual services provided by the women online. Under threats to reveal their actions to family and friends, the group demanded significant sums of money, with threats of physical harm or even death looming over those who refused to pay. The extortionists used fraudulently obtained mobile lines to avoid detection, cancelling them immediately after use.

The operation culminated in the search of a property in Albacete, where the leaders of the organisation, comprising two brothers and their mother, were residing. Although she did not directly participate in criminal activities, the mother handled the money obtained through these illicit operations. The National Police encourages public cooperation in reporting such crimes anonymously through their hotline or dedicated email.