Police bust prostitution ring, 9 people accused of trafficking South American women

Eight men and one woman have denied charges of trafficking women from abroad into Malta for prostitution.

The arraignment took place on Tuesday evening after the Maltese Police carried out a series of simultaneous raids in the early hours of the morning across Malta in Birkirkara, Gzira, St. Paul’s Bay, Siggiewi, Fgura, Gudja, Raħal Didid, Zebbuġ and Isla, arresting 11 people on human trafficking charges.

The operation took place in the early hours of yesterday (Monday 12 August) and saw eight Maltese men and one woman, as well as one Romanian man and one woman, arraigned this afternoon.

The accused are: Luke Farrugia, 36, of Birkirkara, who told the court he was self-employed in the repair and decoration business; Clint D’Amato, 36, of Gudja, a driver; Denzil Farrugia, 19, of Marsa, a catering worker; Alexandra Suhov Procora, a 32-year-old Romanian woman who lives in St Paul’s Bay, who told the court she was an accountant; Nicolae Efimov, 37, of St Paul’s Bay, also Romanian; Kane Vassallo, 22, a hairdresser from Siggiewi; Luca Emanuele Corito, 21, of Isla, who refused to state his occupation; taxi driver Dylan McKay, 30, of Ferguson, and maintenance worker Gordon Cassar, 44, of Rebug.

All nine are charged with money laundering and promoting or establishing a criminal organization

Forcing persons over 21 years of age into prostitution, forcibly detaining people in brothels as debtors, knowingly living off the proceeds of prostitution and operating a brothel.

Luke and Denzil Farrugia, along with D’Amato, Pocora, Vassallo and McKay, are also charged with trafficking a person for the purpose of exploitation or slavery and committing a crime with violence.

Kasar, Corrito and Efimov are also charged with facilitating trafficking of persons for exploitation or prostitution.

Luke Farrugia and Dylan McKay were also charged with using the services of a trafficked person. McKay was also charged with committing a crime while on probation and being a repeat offender.

D’Amato was also charged with possession of cocaine, but there were indications the cocaine was not for personal use.

Police begin investigating brothel

Inspector John Spiteri told the court that the police investigation began with a search of a brothel, but it later emerged that four Colombian girls found there had also been trafficked. Initially, there were questions about who was the organizer, but the two-month investigation “revealed that everyone in court was actively involved in this criminal enterprise.”

He said after questioning the trafficked girls, the police were able to identify the man behind the operation.

While the police were investigating, the District Court also conducted an investigation. The police believed that there was sufficient probable cause to issue search warrants and arrest warrants for 11 people, which were executed yesterday.

The inspector said each of the arrested persons had given a statement and police found sufficient grounds to charge nine of them, adding that the duty magistrate was immediately informed of the arrests.

Responding to questions from defence lawyer Franco Debono, the inspector said the investigation had begun on 13 June.

“During yesterday’s operation, another brothel was found to be operating and four more persons were identified as witnesses,” the inspector told the court, adding that just three hours before the arraignment, he found out that another trafficked woman was about to arrive at the airport and one of the accused would pick her up.

All defendants pleaded not guilty and requested bail.

The prosecution objects to bail

The prosecution requested a protection order for the trafficked women, and the court supported the request.

Prosecutor Ramon Bonette Sladen opposed the request for bail. “We are dealing with a complex, planned criminal operation. If bail is granted, the criminal operation may be restarted and crimes may be committed again. The victims are not only trafficked but also do not speak the local language and are therefore in double jeopardy,” he said, adding that some of the accused were also repeat offenders.

“We are not talking about the actions of one or two people, but an organization. The police may find more people involved.

“Inspector Spiteri told the court that while each defendant had his own unique circumstances, they were all part of a criminal organization. Releasing any of them would not only be premature but would jeopardize the course of justice,” he said.

Lawyer Franco Debono argued that requests to deny bail need to be supported by evidence. “I think that in this case, safeguards must be applied more strictly,” the lawyer said, noting that some of his clients have no prior convictions. “When I meet someone who is innocent of a crime and the attorney general asks him what he would do if he were granted bail, I say he would probably have done the same thing, even though he has no conviction.” The lawyer said defendants have been granted bail even in drug trafficking cases, where the penalties are much heavier.

Officer Spiteri countered that no attempts to solicit witnesses had occurred in the past few months because they had been held in a secure location. Officer Spiteri explained that the defendants thought they were being deported.

“This is a classic case where each witness is subject to all possible repercussions, including threats against their families in Colombia, as has already happened in this case.”

Attorney Roberto Montalto asked in his bail application what the point of bail conditions was if they were so obviously ineffective.
Lawyer Mario Mifsud expressed surprise at the recent decision made by Maltese law enforcement. “The investigation is ongoing and will continue. This week we have named several people involved in the Identita scandal and are only now starting the investigation,” the lawyer argued, but his client is being tried for “only picking up a Colombian woman”, the lawyer said. “Couldn’t he have picked up a Japanese woman or someone from another country? We have brought in 18,000 people and turned the country into a pigsty, and we accuse him of laundering money for a mere 100 euros?”

Attorneys Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Charles Merceica, Etienne Borg Ferranti, Kathleen Calleja Grima and Michaela Giglio are assisting the individual defendants.

AG attorneys Ramon Bonett Sladden and Charmaine Abdilla were prosecuted along with police inspectors John Spiteri, Joseph Xerri and Dorianne Tabone.

Lawyer Catherine Kaleja Grima told the court her client had only received a small amount of money for driving one of the women around. “I cannot understand how a person suspected of being involved in the lower echelons of the organisation could be a threat to the evidence if he is granted bail. Let’s put this into perspective.”

He disputed the suggestion that Corrito’s involvement was minor because he drove the women around. “I think knowingly helping someone run a brothel and getting paid €400 a month is not a small amount.”

The seat was interrupted

Officer Spiteri’s response was interrupted by a commotion inside the courtroom when a member of the public was escorted out by police who suspected he had recorded the entire trial on his mobile phone. The court ordered police to immediately check the phone.

The man, Jurgen Cassar, was brought back to court and told the court he “accidentally hit the record button” and insisted everything was OK because the video was not sent. “There was an exclamation mark next to it. It wasn’t sent,” Cassar said.

The court informed the man that he had committed a criminal offence and ordered the police to investigate the matter.

Bail refused

After hearing the submissions from all parties, the court refused bail.

“The court, after hearing submissions from all parties, first notes that all the accused are charged with being part of a criminal organisation. While the court is well aware of the presumption of innocence, the court is of the view that the evidentiary risk is real,” the bench said. The court added before dismissing the bail plea that the investigation was at an early stage and the district court inquiry was yet to hear the testimonies of all witnesses.

All suspects remain in custody and will be taken to the Corradino Correctional Facility.