At Least 17 Arrested In Sex Trafficking Ring Bust With Malta Links

Authorities in Colombia and Albania have dismantled an international sex trafficking network that brought Colombian women to Malta and other European countries for sexual exploitation.

At least 17 suspects were arrested in coordinated raids, including 10 in Colombia and seven in Albania. The gang, known as ‘Raphax’, allegedly recruited vulnerable women through social media, offering them false job opportunities in Europe.

Victims were then forced into prostitution and charged €5,000 for travel and accommodation, a debt they could not repay as traffickers withheld their earnings.

Europol described the organisation as highly organised, with members assigned to recruitment, transport, and direct exploitation of victims. Women were advertised on adult websites and controlled through psychological and physical abuse.

The operation identified 54 victims across Colombia, Albania, and Croatia, with ongoing evidence seizures. Firearms, documents, and other equipment were confiscated during the raids.

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