Police Say South-American Sex Workers In Prostitution Ring Slept With 2,000 Clients In Four Months
South-American women who were brought into Malta for sex work related purposes saw around 2,000 clients, a police inspector testified yesterday.
Times of Malta covered the testimony of inspector John Spiteri in a court case against nine people who have been charged on connection with human trafficking and running brothels in Msida and Gżira.
He said that over 2,000 clients visited the Msida flat between March and June, and a further 200 are estimated to have visited the Gżira flat between July and August.
While some were compliant and willing, others voiced their discomfort regarding their situation.
What started as an investigation into expired work visas, turned into a full-fledged crackdown on an alleged nine-person crime ring. In early August, police approached a residency in Msida in which residents possessed expired work visas.
Multiple women were found to be living in the apartment and upon further investigation of the accommodation and the women themselves, police had reason to believe the building was being used as a brothel.
An investigation was promptly started, and further questioning was conducted with the women and a man who was also found in the apartment, who was identified as Kane Vassallo.
The women, from various South-American origins, shared with the police that they were coaxed into moving to Malta on the promise of high-pay and luxury accommodations for a proposed seven-day period. They were told they will live in a luxury St Julian’s resort and would be free to meet with male clients.
However, upon arriving in Malta, the women were met by men who drove them to flats far below their expectations. Following this were multiple months of sex work required by the women to pay off their debts. One woman claimed that she had accumulated over €2,000 in two weeks, none of which she kept, and were directly used to pay off her extensive debt.
The investigation led to the arrest of nine individuals who were connected to the organisation – 31-year-old Luke Farrugia as the suspected mastermind, Clint Lawrence D’Amato, Denzil Farrugia, 19, Alexandra Suhov Pocora, 32, Kane Vassallo, 22, Gordon Cassar, 44, Luca Emanuele, 21, Dylan McKay, 30, and Nicolae Efimov, 37.
These individuals were faced with multiple charges, including money laundering, promotion and setup of a criminal organisation, forcing persons over 21 years of age into prostitution and holding alleged victims against their will in a brothel.
The evidence brought up including CCTV footage of the perpetrators entering and exiting the Msida premises, Whatsapp chat logs that incriminates said individuals, a “menu of services”, as well as witnesses, including a photographer hired by the organisation for images to be put up on a local escort site.
Further developments are yet to be made within the case, but, the accused continue to plead not guilty.
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