COPS have arrested 17 people on suspicion of sex trafficking – with 29 alleged victims found in East London.
Dawn raids were carried out today as cops busted a Romanian gang suspected of smuggling women into the UK to work as prostitutes.
Cops stormed 16 homes in Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Tower Hamlets and Newham at around 6am, LBC reports.
Dramatic footage shows the Vulnerability Investigations Team forcing their way into one property in riot gear.
Police arrested 14 men and three women aged between 17 and 50 on suspicion of modern slavery, controlling prostitution, Class A drug offences and firearm offences.
Two were already wanted on European arrest warrants.
Officers also discovered 29 women, also thought to be Romanian and aged between 20 and 40, who are believed to be potential victims.
Cash, drugs and a stun gun were seized, with another man arrested in Romania in simultaneous raids.
The women are now being supported by police.
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The arrests were part of Operation Kelang, which involves the Met, the Crown Prosecution Service , Romanian police and prosecutors, the Romanian Embassy, and Europol and Eurojust.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard McDonagh from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Kidnap Unit said:
“The Met recognises the seriousness of modern slavery and the devastation it brings to people’s lives.
“Today’s synchronised operational activity spanned 16 addresses in east London and four addresses in Romania with the aim of, in one fell swoop, dismantling an organised crime network and providing support to the victims.”
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