[Iraq Sun] The German federal police managed to bust a huge crime gang, that was suspected of trafficking hundreds of women and transsexuals from Thailand for prostitution.According to the country federal police, it was the biggest raids in their history and was carried out on Wednesday, against an alleged organised crime ring.
In a statement post the raid, the federal police force said that a record 1,500 officers swooped on more than 60 brothels and flats in 12 of Germany's 16 states.
According to prosecutors, 56 suspects are in their sights, with 41 of them being women.
Further, authorities noted that a "core group" of 17 suspects "smuggled Thai women and transsexuals into Germany with fraudulent" visas for the passport-free Schengen zone.
According to Sherlocks, the core group brought to Germany "had to hand over 100 percent of their wages to the operators of the respective 'massage parlours' to pay off their smuggling fee," an extortionate sum of between 16,000 and 36,000 euros ($20,000-45,000).
Further, officials revealed that seven of the accused, including a 59-year-old Thai woman and her 62-year-old German partner, were taken into custody on outstanding arrest warrants.
Alexander Badle, a front man for the Frankfurt prosecutor's office addressed news hounds after the raid and said that beyond human trafficking, forced prostitution, procurement and embezzlement of wages, the ringleaders also face charges of tax evasion.
He added that some of the suspects could face up to 15 years in prison.
Badle pointed out that the ring had "specialized" in a niche for transsexual hookers in Germany's vast sex industry.
He said that while the Thai victims were aware that they were being taken to German brothels, they were duped about the "conditions, including the fact that they would receive virtually no remuneration."
He said that they were brought to Europe
...also known as Moslem Lebensraum...on tourist visas that explicitly prohibited work, and spoke no German, leaving them particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Badle noted that immigration authorities would now examine the victims' legal status to determine how long they could stay in Germany.
| They are there illegally, are involved in what one assumes is an illegal trade, they cannot speak the language, and they have no saleable skills other then their current trade plied on their backs. Send them home post haste, where at least they’ll be able to keep some portion of their earnings, eat familiar foods, and converse with their neighbours. |
...back at the dirigible, the pilot and the copilot had both hit the silk.
Jack!Cynthia exclaimed.
Do you know how to drive one of these things?
Jack wiped some of the blood from his knuckles.
No,he said.
Do you?...
prosecutors in Frankfurt, who have been working with police on the case since February 2017, estimate that the ring drew more than one million euros in income.
| Thais are exotic in Europe, as are transexuals. So are Nigerians — and we’ve read reports about the thriving trade in girls for prostitution from that part of the world, not all of whom were aware of what they were getting into. One hopes that ring will be the next one busted. |
| International, actually. Well done, guys. |