Ten people have been arrested for involvement in bringing pregnant women, or those with young children, into Spain and subsequently forcing them into prostitution.
The victims of this trade, mostly Nigerian women, were either in the latter stages of pregnancy or had young children in order to avoid deportation by the Spanish authorities. Many were brought in by boat and in the cases where young children were involved, these were not necessarily their own offspring.
Once established in Spain, the women were put to work in clubs in Barcelona and Almeria where they were sexually exploited. Conditions were generally poor and in some cases the women were padlocked in rooms and not allowed out.
The ten detainees are 4 Nigerians, 3 Brazilians, 2 Moroccans and 1 from Mali.