Accused referred to women trafficked from Colombia as 'new stock' court hears
Co-accused received 75,000 in two years
15 hours ago| Edwina Brincat |3
2 min read
A court heard on Wednesday how a gang member allegedly involved in human trafficking racked in €75,000 in two years.
Police Inspector John Spiteri gave details during proceedings against Luke Farrugia, 36, Clint Lawrence D’Amato, Denzil Farrugia, 19, Kane Vassallo, 22, Gordon Cassar, 44, Luca Emanuele Corito, 21, Dylan McKay 30, Alexandra Suhov Pocora, 32, and her partner Nicolae Efimov, 37.
They stand accused of involvement in a human trafficking racket which lured Colombian women to Malta with an offer of work but then forced them into prostitution in several brothels in the Msida and Gzira area.
They saw over 2,000 clients in three months in just one of the brothels.
The accused are pleading not guilty.
In his testimony Spiteri confirmed that although Vassallo was not involved in the process of bringing the foreign nationals to Malta, WhatsApp messages indicated that he was aware of their arrival from Colombia, referring to them as “new stock.”
As for Corito, the inspector confirmed that the defendant had contacted one of the victims only once. There was evidence showing that Corito knew that he was instructing one of the victims to render services outside the apartment. He was allegedly paid €400 for that job.
More:
https://timesofmalta.com/article/accused-referred-women-trafficked-columbia-new-stock-court-hears.1097629
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Women allegedly forced into prostitution saw 2,000 clients in three months
Court hears of Colombian women working out of Msida and fearing 'phantom boss'
September 3, 2024| Edwina Brincat
4 min read
Phone data retrieved in the investigation shows Luke Farrugia issuing orders to the other defendants on how to run the alleged brothel. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
A group of Colombian women who were allegedly lured to Malta as human trafficking victims saw over 2,000 clients in three months, a court heard on Tuesday.
Police Inspector John Spiteri testified in the case against Luke Farrugia, 36, Clint Lawrence D'Amato, Denzil Farrugia, 19, Kane Vassallo, 22, Gordon Cassar, 44, Luca Emanuele Corita, 21, Dylan McKay, 30, Alexandra Suhov Pocora, 32, and her partner Nicolae Efimov, 37.
They are all facing various charges related to human trafficking and subsequently running several brothels in apartments around Msida and Gżira. All are pleading not guilty.
On Tuesday Spiteri described how a case police thought was simply about people who may have overstayed their visa unravelled into suspicions that the women were being used to run a brothel.
Spiteri showed a series of videos grabbed from CCTV footage showing several of the defendants coming and going from one of the apartments that housed four of the victims.
Mobile data was not only integral to track the group's movement but also helped police identify Luke Farrugia as the suspected mastermind.
More:
https://timesofmalta.com/article/women-allegedly-forced-prostitution-saw-2000-clients-three-months.1097577
