Three men were arrested today in northern Hungary in a coordinated action supported by Europol and Eurojust and conducted by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee) and Hungarian police. Eight homes in the town of Salgótarján were searched. The men, suspected of the sexual exploitation of women in The Hague, are expected to be brought to the Netherlands soon.
Investigators from the Koninklijke Marechaussee today also conducted a search of four premises in the red light district of The Hague on suspicion of human trafficking. Two locations, with sixteen windows, will be shut down. Computers, telephones and documents were seized.
The human trafficking investigation began in 2014. A Hungarian woman claimed to have been coerced into prostitution, along with other Hungarian women, by two of the suspects. She claimed to have been forced to earn EUR 600-700 per day, with all of her earnings taken by the men. The men were accused of using physical threats and violence to force the women to keep working.
The traffickers used the money earned by the prostitutes for purchasing drugs and luxury items in Hungary. An investigation into the men's assets has commenced.
Two suspected trafficking victims have been turned over to the anti-trafficking organisation CoMensha.
Europol and Eurojust supported the countries involved in this cross-border human trafficking operation throughout the investigation and facilitated police and judicial cooperation in the framework of a joint investigation team (JIT).
During the investigation and also prior to the action day, operational and coordination meetings were held at Europol and Eurojust. On the coordinated action day Europol provided support on the spot by deploying an analyst with a Europol mobile office.
(source: www.europol.europa.eu)