Germany, Slovakia arrest 2 in raids on trafficking ring
Authorities say two suspects have been arrested in Germany and Slovakia in raids on a group accused of smuggling Vietnamese people into Germany and other European countries for large fees that they had to work off in massage parlors and brothels
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two suspects were arrested in Germany and Slovakia in raids Monday on a group accused of smuggling Vietnamese into Germany and other European countries for large fees that they had to work off in massage parlors, brothels and other places, authorities said.
Police in Berlin arrested a Vietnamese woman who lives in the German capital, while a Slovak woman was detained in Bratislava. They were alleged to be part of a larger group of suspects — several Vietnamese, one German and two Slovaks —that brought Vietnamese people to Europe on fraudulently obtained visas.
They are accused of demanding payments of between 13,000 and 21,000 euros ($15,800 to $25,600), which investigators suspect had to be worked off in nail studios, massage parlors and apartments used as brothels.
A Vietnamese man is suspected of giving hormone injections to women who worked as prostitutes in Germany to prevent them from getting unwanted pregnancies, prosecutors and police said in a statement.
Police found 13 people who were in Germany illegally during Monday's raids in several parts of Germany.
___
Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.