Belgium has charged nine people with human trafficking and money laundering for their alleged roles in a gang suspected of bringing women from China to be sex workers in Europe.
Belgian police detained 27 people in raids across the country on Tuesday and seized bank notes worth about €1.5 million.
According to federal prosecutors, another person was detained in Spain and a further two in Switzerland after similar raids.
The raids were carried out after two years of investigation led by Belgium's Federal Judicial Police in collaboration with Eurojust and Europol.
🚨 28 arrested as Europe’s biggest Chinese prostitution ring is dismantled.
— Europol (@Europol) February 8, 2023
🙅 200+ victims were trafficked to Europe into a conveyor belt of sexual exploitation.
The action is the biggest hit to date against Chinese human trafficking in Europe.
More ⤵️https://t.co/9cRBuzvBZl
Forced into prostitution
Prosecutors brought nine of those detained before a judge this Wednesday to be charged and remanded them in custody.
The other 18 were released.
Prosecuting lawyers say the number of Chinese sex workers in Belgium has risen in recent years, notably in Brussels.
They believe a criminal organisation brought the women to Europe and forced them to become prostitutes.
The women, advertised online, are frequently moved across locations in Europe and have a large proportion of their earnings taken from them.
