TRAVEL AGENT BROTHEL

COPS have dismantled an Alicante gang who sexually exploited women after bringing them over from Colombia via a travel agency with false promises of jobs.

Nine people have been arrested with two ringleaders jailed and 21 victims freed from flats in Valencia, Murcia and Alicante.

Investigations started when one of the victims escaped and contacted the Policia Nacional at Alicante Airport. She told officers she was recruited in Colombia with the promise she would work in Spain as a kitchen assistanta better paid job than back at home.

However, she was forced to work as a prostitute and pay for the cost of the trip funded by the criminals.

They charged extortionate interest on the sum plus expenses that had nothing to do with the journey.

The victim described the 'deplorable' conditions where she worked which was akin to slavery, having to work at all hours and not allowed outside.

The enterprise was conducted under the guises of a travel agency which allowed the gang to bring in the women from Colombia as tourists. The criminal enterprise netted around €21,000 per month.

TWO men are being investigated for illegally advertising stuffed Eagle Owls on animal sales forums in Valencia.

Two birds were offered for sale by the Spaniards, who face charges of breaking Flora and Fauna laws over the sale of protected species.

The Guardia Civil monitored specialist animal sales websites and social media pages when they came across the adverts.

Neither of the sellers could produce any documents that allowed them to keep the stuffed birds, let alone permission to sell this kind of wild animal. The owls were seized by Guardia officers and handed over to judicial authorities.