A police operation has broken up a criminal network that allegedly forced vulnerable women into prostitution in Soria and Burriana, in Castellón, and led to the arrest of five suspected leaders. Investigators reported a system of psychological intimidation, including santería rituals, and restrictions on victims’ freedom. Many of the women were recruited from South America with false promises of work or accommodation. They were kept under close control and reportedly denied the right to rest in the rooms where they worked, sleeping instead in overcrowded shared areas.
The reported investigation began in February 2026, after a woman escaped and contacted police. Her account helped investigators trace the group’s alleged structure and methods. The network reportedly imposed a 24-hour regime and moved women between locations through a system known as “plazas,” making it harder for them to establish contacts, escape or seek help. Women already living in Spain were also targeted with offers of temporary accommodation that allegedly became a route into sexual exploitation.
Information from the case account, the network took half of the women’s earnings and pressured them to recruit others in similarly vulnerable circumstances. Fake rental contracts were allegedly used to present the arrangements as lawful housing. Victims were reportedly made to have unprotected sex or take drugs at clients’ request, while the organization supplied erectile-dysfunction medication for use and sale during sexual services. Payments were made in cash or through card terminals at the clubs.
Searches linked to the investigation were carried out in Soria and Burgos, with Murcia also among the locations. Raids took place at two clubs in Soria and Burriana. Authorities reportedly seized accounting records and erectile-dysfunction medication; one property was placed under judicial precautionary measures. The five people arrested are alleged to have led the network, and their responsibility remains for the courts to determine.
Police sources described the use of santería rituals as a deliberate means of instilling fear and securing compliance. The alleged methods combined psychological pressure with financial exploitation, restricting victims’ ability to leave. The National Police says trafficking tips can be reported anonymously through its free hotline, 900 10 50 90, or by email at trata@policia.es. Calls do not appear on phone bills.
The case highlights the investigative difficulties posed by exploitation concealed in residential properties and accommodation arrangements. RTVE has reported that a five-officer UCRIF team based in Valladolid investigates sexual-exploitation networks in Castilla y León. The broadcaster also reported that flats can create a degree of secrecy that complicates police work. UCRIF, the National Police’s Basic Unit for Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Forgery, investigates immigration-related criminal networks and trafficking cases.
Fake contracts and psychological coercion have featured in other trafficking investigations. In a separate incident, authorities in Marbella recently fined tourists for reckless behavior on the A-7 highway, as reported in a related news story. That case highlights the range of offenses Spanish police continue to address.
Spain is a destination and transit country for trafficking networks, and law enforcement agencies investigate operations that exploit vulnerable people. In this case, reported false promises and intimidation, alongside movement between locations and control of earnings, point to the pressures that can keep victims trapped. Public cooperation and access to support remain impressive in identifying exploitation and helping people seek assistance.
