Two suspects that were apprehended earlier in the week as part of an investigation into a Brazilian/Columbian prostitution network have been formally arrested. The Federal Prosecutor’s office announced that the two suspects had been formally arrested on Thursday. They are suspected of having lured women from Brazil and Columbia to come to Belgium to work as prostitutes.
For some time, the Federal Prosecutor's Office has been investigating the activities of a Brazilian criminal organisation that allegedly engaged in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering. The gang’s victims offered their services as prostitutes through websites such as Redlights and Quartier Rouge. The usually worked from rented houses or private homes.
They were paid less for their service than had been promised, were forced to repay large sums in “debts” and were often moved from city to city. This made them heavily dependent on the prostitution network that was exploiting them.
On Tuesday, the Brussels Federal Judicial Police apprehended two suspects, both of whom Brazilian nationals. On Wednesday 11 properties were searched in Brussels, Liège, Flémalle (Liège Province), Halle (Flemish Brabant), Braine l’Alleud (Walloon Brabant) Aalst, Geraardsbergen and Ghent (East Flanders) and 5 more people were detained. On Thursday evening it was decided that 2 of the 7 people that had been detained during the previous days had been formally arrested.
International investigation
The criminal investigation into the gang’s activities has an international dimension. In September the Brazilian Federal Police reported that it had dismantled an international network that sent sex workers from South America to Belgium and Croatia. Some 20 of the gang’s victims were identified and digital wallets containing 4.25 million euro’s worth of crypto currency were seized. A least three suspects, including the man believed to be the gang’s leader, Maurício G, were arrested in Brazil.
Maurício G has a long list of convictions here in Belgium for offence related to prostitution. He returned to Brazil in 2022. One of the suspects that were formally arrested on Tuesday is reported to be Maurício G.’s right-hand-man.