As the UK is confronting a prostitution ring involving taxi drivers forcing young girls to become prostitutes, Mallorca police have arrested eight men on prostitution and drug charges for doing the same. The men were giving drugs to young girls, getting them addicted, and then forcing them to become prostitutes to pay off the drug debts. A couple of the men who were arrested were over the age of 60. The Mallorca prostitution ring had been in operation for many years.
The investigation into the Mallorca drug and prostitution ring began more than eight years ago, when a 16 year old girl died of a drug overdose and Palma police were put on the case. She was eventually connected to the gang and, now that eight arrests have been made, more are expected to follow.
Houses in Palma were searched last week, and a stash of drugs, drug paraphernalia, porn videos and a video camera used to make porn movies were found. Several young women were also discovered in the houses and, after questioning, were released by Palma police.
The eight men arrested face charges involving sexual abuse, abuse of a minor and various drug offences. The investigation is still ongoing.
Another prostitution ring was discovered by Mallorcan police just two years ago, when 14 pimps were arrested and charged with forcing young men from Brazil to become prostitutes after lying to them about legitimate jobs in Spain and buying their tickets into the country with stolen credit cards. The young men were forced to work in brothels all across Spain.