Three Colombian English-language students have admitted in court that they set up a brothel in St Julian’s to foot the bill for hefty quarantine costs.

The three women, aged between 28 and 40, were hauled to court today, where they pleased guilty to charges of running a brothel and living off the earnings off prostitution. 

Police told the court that they had received information that a St Julian’s apartment was being used as a brothel. They carried out surveillance operation and officers eventually barged into the apartment, where they found one of the women having sex with a client.

The client told police that he paid €80 for the prostitute’s sexual services and officers also found sex toys in the apartment to back up their case. 

Questioned by police, the prostitutes said they had travelled to Malta to study English but were forced to quarantine twice, first in Turkey and then again at their final destination.

After racking up “costly” bills, they resorted to prostitution, advertising their services online.  

Magistrate Natasha Galea Scibberas fined the women €250 each and sentenced them to nine months imprisonment, suspended for four years.