When the vulnerable women arrived in Albania, they were forced into prostitution. The criminal group used online escort platforms to exploit the women across Europe. The group is believed to have forced over 50 victims into prostitution. Any women who refused to work were held against their will and threatened with violence against their families in Colombia. A hotel in Tirana was transformed to forcefully detain and sexually exploit the women.

The main suspects organised their activities professionally, distributing tasks among the network to avoid arousing suspicion, and travelling around the globe to complicate national investigations. Thanks to international cooperation facilitated by Eurojust and Europol, links between the local handlers and the main criminal group were uncovered. The Western Balkan Criminal Justice Project facilitated the participation of the main Albanian prosecutor during the investigation. Europol supported the operational activities, facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed an expert to Colombia to cross-check operational information in real time, support investigators on the ground and coordinate cross-border cooperation.

An action day resulted in the final dismantling of the criminal network, with simultaneous operations conducted in Albania and Colombia. Fifty-four victims from South America were identified, and 17 suspects were arrested, 7 in Albania and 10 in Colombia, including one High Value Target. During 16 house searches, authorities collected evidence and equipment that will be used in further investigations into the criminal group.

The following authorities carried out the investigations:

• Albania: Prosecution Office of General Jurisdiction of Tirana; Albanian State Police/ Section for Investigation of Trafficking
• Colombia: Colombian National Police, Prosecutor’s Office of Medellin and Bogota