Madrid Police Raid Frees 61 Migrants, Including Women and Children, from Trafficking Ring

Families with children and babies, as well as a pregnant woman, crammed into cramped rooms without ventilation, were finally freed, following a police raid on the premises in Spain.

According to the newspaper El Confidentiel, 6 individuals, prosecuted for offenses of exploiting immigrants, crimes against public health, approached their victims near immigration offices, particularly international protection centers. Attracted by a very affordable rent (250 euros per month), they ended up 4, or even more, in 9 m² rooms without any type of contract or minimum hygiene conditions.

The tenants of the 23 rooms, who were monitored by a camera system, shared 2 kitchens and 2 bathrooms and slept on the floor, amidst waste and construction materials, on used mattresses recovered from the trash. The newspaper points out that the victims were subjected to abuses and even cruel treatment when they were late in paying their rent.