Arrests made in human trafficking investigation

Granada
Lancashire
Wednesday 19 April 2017 at 1:57pm

Arrests made in human trafficking investigation Credit: Lancashire Police

Police have arrested seven men and one woman as part of an investigation into a suspected Romanian human trafficking gang.

The arrests on Wednesday were made following a series of early-morning raids in Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Gateshead and Evesham, near Worcester, said Lancashire Police.

A total of eight women were found inside the addresses and were suspected of being trafficked to the UK from Romania for the purposes of prostitution.

The detainees are being questioned by detectives from Op Proteus - Lancashire Police's dedicated human trafficking and modern slavery team - on suspicion of conspiring to traffic for sexual exploitation and conspiring to incite prostitution.

Officers raided a number of properties Credit: Lancashire Police

Detective Inspector Mark Vaughton, of Op Proteus, said:

"Today's arrests are the latest stage of a long-running proactive investigation by Lancashire Constabulary into the activities of a Romanian organised crime group which we believe has been trafficking women into the country for the purposes of prostitution. "I'd like to thank our colleagues in the other force areas and at the National Crime Agency for the assistance in co-ordinating and carrying out today's activity. "While this is just the latest phase of this operation, today's activities has seen both a number of people arrested and a number of women rescued from exploitation. "Modern slavery is not something confined to history, it is still happening today, and it's happening in Lancashire. "We would urge you to look closer, modern slavery could be happening right in front of you - whether that's in nail bars, car washes, rural businesses, brothels, massage parlours, or a property in your neighbourhood."

Those arrested were three men aged 25, 28 and 31 at an address in Whitebirk Road, Blackburn; a 30-year-old man at Arkwright Road, Preston; a 29-year-old man in Walton-le-Dale; a 27-year-old woman at Station Road, Blackpool; a 29-year-old man at Wall Street, Gateshead; and a 24-year-old man at St Margaret's Road, Evesham.