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Police officers conducted searches in 18 homes in Romania, in Dambovita and Buzau counties, as well as in the United Kingdom, at the members of a criminal group specialized in human trafficking and procuring, informs, on Wednesday, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) - Pitesti Territorial Service.
Thus, in Romania, the DIICOT - Pitesti Territorial Service prosecutors together with the judicial police officers within the structures for combating organized crime in Pitesti, Buzau and Dambovita carried out 11 home searches, in the counties of Dambovita and Buzau counties, in a case involving the crimes of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking and procuring," states DIICOT - Pitesti Territorial Service.
At the same time, 7 home searches and hearings regarding the activity of the same criminal group were carried out in the United Kingdom, on the basis of an agreement on the establishment of a joint investigation team concluded through EUROJUST, Agerpres.ro informs.
The joint action carried out simultaneously on the territory of Romania and the United Kingdom, led to the identification of 14 persons suspected of being involved in carrying out criminal activities and a number of 4 injured persons.
"In case it was noted that between 2019 and March 2022, members of the organized criminal group recruited, using the "loverboy" method, several injured persons with precarious financial means or from broken families and subsequently transported them abroad in order to sexually exploit them in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Once they arrived in their destination countries, the injured persons were forced to engage in prostitution and, to the extent that they refused to continue their activity, were beaten and threatened, thus creating a state of fear so as to keep them in a state of exploitation," the cited source states.
The joint action was supported by EUROPOL analysts, who also provided information exchange. Police officers from organized crime-fighting structures in Pitesti, Buzau and Dambovita also participated. Specialized support was provided by the Special Operations Directorate.
