Italy, Bulgaria dismantle criminal group that forced women into prostitution

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) - Italian and Bulgarian authorities have dismantled an organized crime group that forced “tens of female victims” into prostitution, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) said.

The joint investigation between the two country’s police forces led to the arrest of 22 alleged members of the group.

Eurojust said that authorities also brought to safety most of the often relatively young victims of the criminal ring.

“Specific members of the organized crime group used the so-called ‘lover boy’ method, pretending to engage personally with women from a poor background in Bulgaria and other countries in Eastern Europe and promising them good job opportunities in Italy, Eurojust said.

“In reality, their passports were taken away and the victims were forced into prostitution in Italy in dire conditions.”

The alleged criminal group is suspected to have had a clear division of roles, with certain members being responsible for luring the victims to Italy and others taking care of transport and controlling them, occasionally under extreme duress, Eurojust added.

Italian authorities launched the investigation in 2021. Eurojust was involved a year later to coordinate the cooperation with Bulgarian authorities.