A BROTHEL gang enslaving women to work 24 hours a day in Malaga managed to build a multimillion-euro operation that relied on white-collar professionals to launder the profits.
The women, many brought from Colombia, were kept inside the premises and service men who came in looking to pay for sex at any time of the day.
Officers say the gang kept the victims under tight control, deciding when the women could rest and who they could speak to.
Clients visiting the establishments, one in Cartama and the other in Malaga capital, were offered a variety of narcotics.
On the menu were cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and Viagra-style pills, with the clubs operating as a one-stop shop for both sex and drugs.
Police believe the setup generated huge daily takings, which were then fed into a second front network of false businesses created to disguise where the money came from.
Ten people have now been arrested, including four white-collar professionals – whose specific professions have not been specified.
They stand accused of providing the know-how needed to move the money through front companies and straw owners.
Investigators say these professionals helped the group buy property, open bank accounts and shift funds through a chain of firms set up to look legitimate.
Police estimate that the gang amassed around €3.5 million in four years through this system.
The case began to unravel when officers removed 42 women from the two brothels last year.
At the time, police shut both establishments by court order and seized assets worth €9.5 million along with cash and several vehicles.
Officers said the women had been brought from Colombia after being approached in difficult personal situations, and were then thrown into sexual slavery.
The brothels also attempted to pass themselves off as small guesthouses, issuing false accommodation invoices in case of inspections.
After the initial raids, investigators began tracking how the group handled its profits.
Police say the gang leader created a second structure made up of figurehead owners, shell companies and the four professionals now under arrest.
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Each allegedly played a role in helping the group shift, disguise or invest the money.
The arrests made in mid-November form the second phase of the case and bring the total number of detainees to 29 across both stages.
Police in Malaga say the investigation is ongoing and further seizures or charges have not been ruled out.
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