Overview
- In early June police freed 29 women from homes in Benalmádena and Marbella and arrested 22 people linked to a Costa del Sol ring reportedly led by a 72‑year‑old woman and her children.
- A separate operation in May targeted clubs in Castilla y León and Madrid, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspects and the release of two victims after raids in Valladolid, Salamanca and Palencia.
- Authorities say the networks recruited women, mainly from Latin America, with false job offers, moved them between clubs and properties to avoid detection, and kept them under strict control using surveillance, manuals, threats and withheld pay or food.
- Police seized large sums of money, blocked bank accounts, valuable property and evidence including drugs, weapons, detailed documentation and a control manual; some detainees were later released pending further judicial action and investigations remain open.
- Officers trace the schemes back to at least 2021, with more than 100 women identified during inspections, and prosecutors and administrative units are expected to pursue criminal charges and actions against property holders as the inquiry continues.