Nineteen prostitutes and nine others have been arrested in El Elijido as part of a national operation against Russian networks trafficking women to be used as prostitutes in Spain. The operation started in 2006 and with these arrests the national police have managed to break up completely this network dedicated to bringing women to Spain to be exploited sexually, and also involved in laundering the money made from prostitution.
During the investigation the police have arrested a total of 99 people who have been accused of crimes related to prostitution, money laundering and workers' rights. Almost six hundred women who worked in brothels have been detained for being in the country illegally. During the investigation, called Operation Zarpa, 82 searches were carried out in six provinces, 26 in brothels and the others in private homes. The operation has resulted in the confiscation of 32 vehicles, most of which are 'luxury' cars, 360,000 euros, two rifles and two pistols, 24 computers and documents which are proof of the criminal activities carried out.
The operation was started when the UCRIF (Central Unit against Immigration Networks and Falsification of Documents) became aware of large movements of money between Almeria and Russia. First investigations showed that this money was originating from brothels in the province and not only was it being generated from prostitution but was actually being used to buy women in Russia to later be exploited sexually. Analysis of the movements of members of the Russian groups, the number of identified victims and the amount of time the crimes were committed for has led the police to estimate that a total of more than ten thousand women have been trafficked by the network, not including those sent to Italy, Greece, Korea or Japan; countries which the Russians were known to have sent women to. It is estimated that each brothel made profits of more than half a million euros per year.
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