Young women from Moldova aged between 20 and 25 were recruited to be sexually exploited in the German region Stuttgart. The police said they identified an international network of procurers led by Russian citizens who settled in Germany. The group included a Moldovan woman who was to recruit young women in Moldova and transport them to Germany, IPN reports.

Officers of the Center for Combatting Trafficking in Persons of the National Investigations Inspectorate caught the Moldovan woman in the act of accompanying one of the recruited girls, who was to get to Germany. When these arrived in Germany, the girls were photographed in underwear and the photos were placed on different websites based on which they were chosen by clients. Afterward, the girls were sexually exploited in apartments specially rented for the purpose.

The police identified four Moldovan women who were recruited and sexually exploited in Germany by members of this network.

The 26-year-old Moldovan woman who formed part of the group is accused of procuring and was remanded in custody for 15 days initially. The Moldovan police cooperate with the police in Germany to identity other girls exploited by the group and other group members. The traffickers face up to ten years behind bars.