"Free sex and illegal income": Amsterdam Red Light Dist. trafficking

The case of four men suspected of human trafficking appeared in the court in Amsterdam on Monday. These men, who were window operators for a room rental business in the Red Light District, exploited women for a period of 5 years between 2004 and 2010, according to the Public Prosecutor. "On paper it was a licensed room rental business, in reality it turned out that the victims of pimps were put to work. The suspects systematically exploited these women for years: they got free sex and illegal income from room rentals." the prosecutors said in their closing. According to the prosecutors, the actions of these suspects created a breeding ground for an unprecedented level of human trafficking. The four men are also suspected of involvement in a criminal organization involved in human trafficking, money laundering and forgery. According to the Public Prosecutor, wire tapped telephone conversations and testimony show that they tried to cover up who the real operators of the room rental business were. The organization also tried to hide the actual turnover and profits of the business.