Spanish authorities made a shocking discovery recently while carrying out a large-scale police operation against human trafficking, as 162 women were freed from forced prostitution in several apartments which had been converted into “massage salons”. The women lived in unimaginably awful conditions – they were forced to service their clients in bunkbeds, where they then had to sleep.
162 victims, 37 suspects
The Spanish National Police arrested 37 suspects during the investigations. Nine of these were taken into custody. The accused were said to have been part of an organised gang which robbed women of their freedom and forced them into prostitution.
“Massage salons” in tourist regions
Most of the victims, according to official figures, came from countries in South America. The group of offenders was active primarily in popular holiday resorts such as Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Murcia. While there, they refunctioned apartments and business premises as so-called “massage salons“. There, the women not only had to service their clients, but also live – in inhumane conditions and subject to constant supervision. They had to give away the majority of their income.
Incarcerated and exploited
The women affected were either recruited directly in their countries of origin or when already in Spain. They lived in existential need, and often had neither a residence nor a work permit available to them. In the bordellos, they slept tightly packed into bunkbeds or even in the same bed as they had just served their clients. Most of the rooms were closed off, and there were hardly any opportunities to escape.
Assets confiscated
On 39 investigations, police seized around 141,000 euros in cash and three vehicles. As well as this, more than 60 bank accounts and numerous assets were frozen. The investigations are ongoing; another focus is on the suspicion of money laundering.
Further cash in Spain
As recently as the beginning of 2025, a Chinese human trafficking gang was smashed in Spain: 30 suspects were taken into custody, while 33 young Asian women – including an underage girl – were freed from forced prostitution. The victims were lured to Spain with false promises, where they were watched around the clock and sexually exploited. In some cases, they were sold on, or forced to have abortions. In raids in Spain and Croatia, authorities seized cash, guns, drugs and forged documents.
Successes against human trafficking in Greece
As recently as December last year, authorities in Greece enjoyed similar success in the struggle against human trafficking. During one raid, 29 women were saved from several apartments and two nightclubs. The offenders had lured their victims to Greece from Eastern Europe, Africa and South-East Asia with false promises of work, where they were forced into prostitution. The women lived under enormous physical pressure, and had no valid papers or contact with the world outside. It was made clear to them that they had to work off their “travel and accommodation costs” through forced labour. As well as nine arrests, large amounts of cash, guns and forged documents were seized. NGOs such as A21 provided medical and psychological treatment.
International cooperation
The fate of these women shows once again that human trafficking and forced labour continue to take place to this day, at the very heart of Europe. The successful investigations and raids in Greece and Spain represent important successes in the relentless struggle against these crimes. Cross-border networking of the investigating authorities and the collaboration of NGOs are indispensable for smashing networks acting internationally in this way.
“Follow the money”
International operations against human trafficking work primarily by means of targeted information exchange, joint investigative groups and coordinated monitoring actions. Investigating authorities use secure communications systems, coordinate operations through central platforms and synchronise the same data (offender profiles, travel routes or cash flows, for example) in real-time. At the same time, mobile operating teams and specialised task forces work in parallel in several different countries. In this way, international human trafficking networks can be effectively destroyed.
Translated by Tim Lywood
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