Barcelona police save women from forced prostitution

A police raid in Barcelona has resulted in the arrest of 39 suspected Chinese mafia members, and the release of 30 young Chinese women who were allegedly forced into prostitution.

BARCELONA, SPAIN (Catholic Online) - Catalonian police announced the arrests on Wednesday. The arrests occurred earlier this week after a long investigation. The arrests represent the biggest take down yet against Chinese-run mafias that are heavily involved in forced prostitution in the Northeastern region of Catalonia.

In recent years, the Chinese mafia has forced out competition from other organized crime syndicates, and has nearly cornered the market in prostitution in at least one upscale Barcelona district. They have managed to do this by forcing young women into prostitution and charging below-market rates, according to local officials.

According to police, the women were forced to work in filthy conditions and would sometimes see as many as eight clients in a row for an hour each.

Of the 39 suspects, 33 have been ordered to remain in prison by a Spanish judge. Six others were released, however they remain under investigation. Police are searching for an additional six suspects.

According to police, the operation closed 17 brothels.

The rescued women have been placed in special assistance centers run by a nongovernmental organization. From there some have left to stay with friends in Barcelona, but have been asked to stay close to participate in the prosecution of the suspects.

In addition to forced prostitution, the Chinese mafia was also heavily involved in document forgery and trafficking humans, drugs, and weapons. Authorities say that Barcelona was a hub for human trafficking and from there, people were sent to the United States, Australia, and Canada. Often the victims were held in Barcelona while forged documents were prepared for their travel.

Police say that documents confiscated in the raids included passports from multiple countries. The passports are said to be "perfect" in quality and very dangerous. High-grade professional equipment was used to create them.

In 2009 local police broke up a forced labor scheme which involved Chinese clothing sweatshops. Several hundred people were freed and over 100 suspects were arrested.

Authorities say, that the biggest human trafficking problem that Spain faces involves prostitution. The women are not just from China, but also from Latin America, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Men can be victims too. In 2010, Spanish police broke up a trafficking ring that tricked Brazilian men in coming to Spain and working as male prostitutes.

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