A couple have been jailed after they were found guilty of running a brothel and human trafficking ring which trapped more than a dozen women in modern slavery.
Luigi Cucu, 46, and Costela Soare, 37, of Smethwick near Birmingham, exploited 14 women between 2018 and 2023.
One victim, who was trafficked to the UK in 2015, was physically and verbally abused, introduced to abusing drugs which resulted in her accumulating large debts and controlled financially.
She was denied medical care and forced to work 20-hour days.
Another victim was severely malnourished, as she did not have enough funds to buy food, and her bones were protruding from her skin.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Police launched a three-year investigation into the couple, after they discovered online posts advertising women for prostitution.
After a warrant, the pair were arrested in March 2023. Officers from the West Midlands Police Major Crime Team found that the couple had profited significantly from their exploitation, earning an estimated £734,400 by selling sexual services to men across the country.
Cucu was charged with arranging or facilitating the travel of a person for exploitation, along with controlling prostitution for financial gain.
After pleading guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court on November 21, he was sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison.
Soare also plead guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and was jailed for three years and two months.
Leading the investigation Detective Constable Mahadi Hasan, from the Major Crime Team, said: ‘We’ve worked hard to bring these charges against both Cucu and Soare.
‘It’s been a very in-depth and thorough investigation over the course of three years to comb through evidence to piece together the couple’s crimes and the abuse their victims went through.
‘We’ve supported and safeguarded the victims and I’m glad that both Cucu and Soare have now been put behind bars for their crimes.’
Find out how to spot the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking and how to make a report here.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.