Police arrest suspected brothel owners and five men who paid for sex

In a major human trafficking operation police have arrested a man and a woman who they suspected of running a brothel while a further five men were arrested for paying for sexual services.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Sep 2019, 17:26 BST
A man and a woman are being questioned by policeA man and a woman are being questioned by police
A man and a woman are being questioned by police

Detectives in PSNI’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit arrested a 57-year-old man in the Belfast area on suspicion of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, controlling prostitution, brothel keeping and money laundering.

A 27-year-old woman was arrested in the Antrim area on suspicion of controlling prostitution, brothel keeping and money laundering. Both of the suspects were taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

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A further five men aged 20, 33, 33, 36 and 52 have been arrested at locations across Northern Ireland on suspicion of paying for sexual services. They have been taken into custody and are assisting detectives with their enquiries.

Detective Inspector Mark Bell said: “These arrests are part of a proactive investigation into human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Northern Ireland which has been ongoing for eight months.”

He said that while the sale of sex in itself is not a crime in Northern Ireland, it is a criminal offence to purchase sex.

“Furthermore, you cannot be sure that the person providing the services has not been forced to or trafficked to make a profit for the person controlling them,” he said.