Eight people charged after dawn raids across Lancashire
It's as part of a national crack down on human trafficking
Last updated 21st Apr 2017
Police have charged 8 people after dawn raids across Lancashire - tackling human trafficking.
Seven men and one woman - from Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool - as well as the North East and the Midlands, were taken in for questioning earlier this week on suspicion of conspiring to traffic people for sexual exploitation.
Eight women - who it's thought have been trafficked from Romania - are now been given specialist support.
Razvan Mitru, who's 30 and from Preston;
Ionut Dogaru, who's 28 and from Blackburn;
27 year old Andra Amzulin from Blackpool;
31 year old Claudiu-Nicusor Vlaescu from Blackburn,
and Traian Gvarila, who's 31 and from Preston,
as well as 3 others from the North East and the South,
all appeared before Blackburn Magistrates Court this morning (Friday, April 21).
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Today's operation has been a great success and shows why it's so important to remain focused on human trafficking. These were highly organised gangs making thousands of pounds, exploiting the most vulnerable women and girls.
These were highly organised gangs making thousands of pounds, exploiting the most vulnerable women and girls.
"The success of today's raid is testament to the hard work and professionalism of Lancashire officers and I'm proud that the resources I have put into this fight places us at the forefront of anti-trafficking work in the country.
"Those arrested today are part of the criminal infrastructure that exists to get these young girls into the country. Operations like today limit their ability to operate and will keep more victims out of the clutches of these gangs."
“While this is just the latest phase of this operation today’s activities has seen both a number of people arrested and a number of women rescued from exploitation.
Detective Inspector Mark Vaughton, of Op Proteus, said: “Today’s arrests are the latest stage of a long-running proactive investigation by Lancashire Constabulary into the activities of a Romanian organised crime group which we believe has been trafficking women into the country for the purposes of prostitution.
“Modern slavery is not something confined to history, it is still happening today, and it’s happening in Lancashire.
“We would urge you to look closer, modern slavery could be happening right in front of you – whether that’s in nail bars, car washes, rural businesses, brothels, massage parlours, or a property in your neighbourhood.
modern slavery could be happening right in front of you
“In Lancashire we are committed to rooting out those individuals who choose to exploit others and we have dedicated officers working hard to remove this type of threat from our communities.
“This area of policing is complex and identifying modern slavery can be difficult, but we have had a number of successful prosecutions recently and there have been a number of victims who have been rescued from exploitation and are now rebuilding better lives with the right help and support.
“Remember if something doesn’t seem right or you have a suspicion about trafficking or slavery; report your concerns to us.”