Reuters AlertNet Lite - Spanish police smash Chinese prostitution ring

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Spanish police smash Chinese prostitution ring

22 Feb 2007 16:04:09 GMT
Source: Reuters

MADRID, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Spanish police have broken up a mafia ring which controlled around 100 Chinese prostitutes in Madrid and brought in around 14 million euros ($18 million) a year, police said on Thursday.

They said they had arrested 14 people, including the leaders of six gangs, almost wiping out the organisations running illegal prostitution rackets in the Spanish capital.

"With this operation, the mafias that controlled illegal prostitution in Madrid have practically disappeared," the police said in a statement.

Police also arrested 20 female illegal immigrants in connection with their investigation.

Police estimate the gangs spent around 18,000 euros per month on renting flats as brothels and advertising in the national press. Each of the rings took cash from around 60 paying clients per day, and the women kept half their earnings, police said.

Only one of the women said she had been forced into prostitution against her will.

Up to 400,000 prostitutes work in Spain, more than 90 percent of them immigrants, according to one trade union estimate.

Prostitution is not illegal in Spain, but prostituting others for personal gain is against the law.

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Last updated:Thu Feb 22 16:04:29 2007