AUTHORITIES on Costa del Sol have rescued 42 women from a prostitution ring that exploited them for profit – raking in more than €9 million in just four years.
Police swooped down on two illegal brothels – one in Malaga proper, disguised as a massage parlour, and another in Cartama – after a former victim managed to flee and blow the whistle, triggering a months-long investigation.
The gang forced the women to live inside the brothels under strict surveillance and constant threats, authorities said.
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“They told them they knew exactly where their families lived in their countries of origin,” a police investigator told Malaga Hoy – a warning that kept many too terrified to resist.
Victims had to be available for clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no real rest and little freedom.
Some were forced to perform sexual acts they did not want to – often without protection.
In one of the premises, police even discovered a makeshift cell – a cramped room used to isolate or intimidate the victims if they disobeyed or complained.
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Many of the women had travelled from other countries and were left vulnerable without legal documents or support networks. Once inside the brothels, they had no way out.
Several victims were also pressured to push clients into taking drugs or sexual-enhancement substances, further boosting the gang’s profits.
Some reportedly generated between €3,000 and €4,000 per night, authorities confirmed.
But sexual exploitation was only one part of the operation.
Behind the scenes, police say the group ran a sophisticated money-laundering network, channelling their earnings through a web of fake companies, property purchases and business accounts.
Shockingly, the gang relied on a handful of white-collar professionals – including a lawyer, a notary, a tax adviser and even a bank director – to help disguise the true source of the cash and keep the criminal enterprise running in plain sight.
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The operation’s lead investigator told Malaga Hoy: “[These professionals] never reported any signs of money laundering, but their support was essential.”
“They operated from a position of privilege, hiding in plain sight,” the investigator added.
At the centre of the network were also five front men, all living in severe financial hardship – some reportedly below the breadline and without a stable place to live.
Around these individuals, the gang built a web of companies that appeared to operate in sectors such as hospitality and construction.
In reality, the purpose of these businesses was simple: to absorb the cash flowing in from the brothels and disguise it as legitimate income, providing a clean facade for the organisation’s profits.
Investigators say dismantling both the exploitation ring and the sophisticated financial structure behind it was essential to shutting the operation down for good.
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