Latvian, German arrested in Riga for recruiting women for German brothels

Two suspects, a Latvian and a German national, were detained at Riga International Airport last month for recruiting women for prostitution in various German cities, Latvian police representatives informed Wednesday.

Investigators believe the scheme was organized by a 47-year-old German national who operated a brothel business in Germany and had been recruiting women in several countries. A 29-year-old accomplice helped him recruit women for prostitution in Latvia.

The two were detained as the Latvian suspect was arriving at the Riga airport with two women who were about to board a flight to Germany together with the German national.

The suspects had been searching for would-be prostitutes on the Internet and through acquaintances. They had created a website in eight languages, including Latvian, which offered young women well-paying jobs in a foreign country. The nature of these jobs was only revealed when applicants inquired about details.

Police arrested the suspects on March 15.

"Recruiting people for work in brothels is one of the greatest human trafficking risks. We target pimps and people involved in this business as part of preventive work to try to avert real cases of human trafficking," said Armands Lubarts, chief of the police department for the prevention of human trafficking and pimping.

The two suspects are now facing criminal prosecution and, if found guilty, could be jailed for up to 10 years. Endit