Murcia brothel suspected of money laundering

Those arrested were all Chinese nationals

A brothel has been closed down in the city of Murcia by officers of the Policía Nacional, who suspected that the premises was not only engaged in prostitution, but was also being used for money laundering and by illegal workers.

During the raid police detained five women and confiscated numerous items of jewellery.
During the investigation, which began in December after a publicity campaign by the establishment in question, transfers abroad of up to half a million euros were detected from the establishment in the north of the city which first opened in September 2011. The suspicion was that offences related to the trafficking of human beings were being committed, and it was soon established that financial benefits were being gained by the management through a 50-50 sharing out of payments received by the ladies working in the club.

The five women arrested, aged between 34 and 51, are all of Chinese origin, and the police gathered sufficient evidence to demonstrate that illegal immigration was being encouraged amongst those working in the brothel. Two of the arrested have been charged with offences related to prostitution, while the other three were found to be in Spain without the relevant permits. The discovery of items of jewellery has also led to the suspicion that money-laundering was among their activities.