Spanish Police broke up a sex-trafficking ring in late August that forced men to work as prostitutes 24 hours a day aided by Viagra, cocaine and other stimulants.
Authorities arrested 14 people and said this was the first time they had encountered a human-trafficking gang that used men in this manner, in a National Police statement released August 31.
Consisting mainly of Brazilian men in their 20s, estimates have projected around 60 to 80 men were recruited in Northern Brazil and charged up to 4,000€ ($5,600AU) for their fare to Spain.
The network was said to have been made up mostly of Brazilians and spanned across Spain including the Island of Mallorca.
Police Inspector Jose Nieto told a news conference some men were of the understanding they had legitimate jobs as go-go dancers and models awaiting them in the country.
Others knew of their fate as they entered the sex industry but weren’t prepared for the around-the-clock conditions.
It emerged the sex slaves were forced to give half their earnings to the gang as well as pay for food and rent for the apartments where they worked.
The police statement revealed if the men complained or caused any kind of problem, the gang leaders would threaten them, even with death.
Arrests were made throughout August while authorities said the alleged ringleader was a Brazilian based on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.
Coincidently, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned human trafficking at the General Assembly on the same day the arrests were made in Spain.
He said human trafficking was among the worst violations of human rights at the launch of the Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons.
‘It is slavery in the modern age,’ he said.
‘Every year, thousands of people, mainly women and children, are exploited by criminals who use them for forced labour or the sex trade.
‘No country is immune. Almost all play a part, either as a source of trafficked people, transit point, or destination.’
According to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking 2006 research, Spain ranked highly as a destination of trafficking among Western European countries.
The UN estimates some 700,000 children, women and men fall victim to the human trafficking industry annually; the US State Department estimates the same figure at 900,000.
Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry and is considered one of the three most profitable criminal activities – alongside drug trafficking and illegal arms trading.
Benn Dorrington
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