The network, which police say operates in Trondheim, Tromsø, Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, and Hamar, has also expressed intentions to expand elsewhere in Norway. The women, mainly from Latin America and Eastern Europe, are lured with promises of safe work and good earnings but are then indebted and unable to choose customers. Police attorney Jeanette Svendsen said several women have been robbed and raped by customers they could not avoid.
The suspects are charged with human trafficking and pimping, with police invoking the organized crime 'mafia paragraph'. The network has been operating since at least spring 2022. Police have seized electronic devices and conducted financial investigations.
Svendsen said some suspects claim bewilderment, while others admit factual circumstances but not guilt. Two alleged masterminds are believed to be in Mexico. The total number of victims remains unknown.