Six people have been arrested following raids by the Metropolitan Police of brothels in Westminster and £1million of luxury goods have been seized from those who profited from the venues.
Four women, with ages from 28 to 67, along with two men, aged 27 and 29, were arrested after a raid by the Met’s Modern Day Slavery Investigation Team, which is part of their Specialist Crime department.
The raids occurred on Wednesday, April 22, with the task-force targeting the sexual exploitation of women at brothels in Central London, namely in Westminster.
Along with making six arrests, police seized a Bentley and a Rolls Royce, along with two Rolex watches and a painting that totalled £1m from residential addresses in London and Gloucestershire.
A Rolls-Royce was one of the high value items seized by the Metropolitan Police after six people were arrested following raids at brothels in Westminster, Central London
Two Rolex watches were also seized as assets to the tune of almost £1million were reclaimed
On Wednesday, officers undertook early morning warrants at seven London addresses – four of which were brothels – and one residential address in Gloucestershire leading to the arrests.
The arrests included a 29-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman and a 67-year-old woman on suspicion of modern slavery and proceeds of crime offences.
A 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
Four of those arrested have been taken to a central London police station and the other two have been taken to a station in Gloucestershire. They all remain in custody.
The arrests are part of an investigation called Operation Huai.
A Bentley was seized after a warrant was acquired for a residential address in Gloucestershire
Operation Huai is looking into an organised crime group believed to be sexually exploiting women at brothels across Westminster. The majority of the victims, who are now being safeguarded following the raids, are Chinese, but a minority are believed to be Romanian and UK nationals.
Victims are now being supported by specialist officers and The Salvation Army will help to ensure they have somewhere to stay and the support they need.
As a result of the raids, Brothel Closure Orders have been applied to the four premises that Operation Huai visited.
Following on from raids on the brothels, a second operation by the Met, entitled Operation Martagon, focused on seizing goods that they believe to have been acquired using proceeds of crime.
Warrants at a number of London addresses saw officers recover cash and around £1m worth of assets including high value Rolex watches and paintings, which included one showing six tins of chicken soup.
At an address in Gloucestershire, a number of high value assets were claimed including two luxury cars, a Rolls Royce and a Bentley.
This is one of the paintings that was seized as police suspected goods were purchased from the proceeds of crimes and the four brothels that were raided have since been closed down
Detective Inspector Grant Anderson, of the Modern Slavery Investigation Team, said: ‘I am delighted that the many months of hard work spent putting this investigation together has resulted in the arrests of six people and, more importantly, that we’ve been able to recover and support vulnerable victims.’
Detective Superintendent Tara McGovern, of the Modern Slavery Investigation Team, said: ‘We are committed to protecting the vulnerable and bringing those responsible for exploiting others to justice. I hope this investigation continues to raise the public’s awareness of this shocking crime and sends a clear message to those involved that we will take robust action.
‘The Met will continue to work with partners, including The Salvation Army, to combat human trafficking and modern slavery in order to safeguard those who are most vulnerable. Even during these unprecedented times, we will continue to target organised crime groups who seek to profit from these audacious acts and bring them to justice.’
Director of Anti-trafficking and Modern Slavery for The Salvation Army, Major Kathy Betteridge, said: ‘We are really grateful to the police for continuing to prioritise the protection of people being abused through slavery despite all the extra demands currently placed on them as part of their response to the pandemic.
‘This means that we can reach the vulnerable people who urgently need our help.’