Two women have been arrested after police raided a suspected brothel in West Belfast this morning.
The arrests are part of an extensive investigation into an organised criminal gang with eastern European links. The searches were carried out at properties in east, south and west Belfast this morning.
Detectives from the PSNI’s Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit rescued five potential female victims of human trafficking.
The two women, aged 36 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including human trafficking, controlling prostitution for gain, and brothel keeping, and are currently assisting police with their enquiries.
The PSNI was assisted by colleagues from the National Crime Agency and the Home Office.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said police are committed to tackling those involved in human trafficking and taking the unfortunate victims of this despicable trade to safety.
“To help us do this we require the public to be aware of what is going on around them and to report anything they believe to be suspicious.
“We will act on any information received and continue to target these criminal gangs. Anyone with any concerns or information about trafficking, or any other criminal activity, should contact their local police on 101.’