Colombian Police Arrest Medellín Mobster Trafficking Women To Greece For Sex Slavery

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (abbreviated in Spanish as DIJIN) of the National Police, in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia, captured the alleged leader of a human trafficking network in Medellín and Barbosa, Antioquia. This organization was reportedly dedicated to trafficking women for sexual exploitation. Alongside the alleged leader, identified as alias “Juan David,” two additional suspects were apprehended, according to a press release from the National Police of Colombia.

The group is accused of recruiting women from Lleras Park in Medellín and the metropolitan area of the Aburrá Valley to send them to Greece, specifically Athens and Thessaloniki, where they were forced into prostitution.

The investigation began after victims, rescued from nightclubs and private locations in Greece, reported their experiences. These women, predominantly from low-income backgrounds, had been lured from Medellín with false promises of legitimate employment. Upon arrival in Greece, they were coerced into prostitution under dire conditions.

The victims were either recruited in person or through social media platforms. Once under the network’s control, they were burdened with insurmountable debts and fined up to €3,600 for supposed expenses never disclosed beforehand. Their identification documents were confiscated, and they were subjected to inhumane treatment, including being forced to provide sexual services to more than 30 men daily.

Alias “Juan David,” the alleged leader of the network, was apprehended in El Hoyo, a rural area of Barbosa where he had been hiding for nearly a year. Among his possessions authorities recovered a 16-gauge shotgun, multiple cartridges, and approximately one pound of marijuana. Investigators revealed that “Juan David” was not only avoiding the law enforcement, but also members of his own criminal organization due to internal disputes over payments related to victim trafficking.

From 2017 to the present, the investigation uncovered evidence linking “Juan David” to the trafficking of numerous women to destinations worldwide, particularly Greece. The victims were forced into unprotected sexual services, which resulted in many contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

In June 2023, a collaborative operation between the Hellenic Police of Greece and DIJIN led to the rescue of 54 Colombian women from Antioquia. Of these, 14 were repatriated to Colombia.

In addition to “Juan David,” authorities arrested two women in Enciso, a neighborhood in Medellín. These individuals were allegedly responsible for recruiting, transporting, and sheltering the victims before they were trafficked abroad.

Legal Proceedings

The suspects were presented before a Judge of Guarantees Control. Alias “Juan David” and one of the women were remanded to prison, while the second woman was placed under house arrest. The Attorney General’s Office charged the suspects with aggravated human trafficking, illegal manufacturing and possession of firearms, and trafficking, manufacturing or carrying of narcotics.

Headline photo: Alias “Juan David” being apprehended (Photo: Policia Nacional de Colombia) 

See also: Finance Colombia » Medellín’s New Mayor Cracking Down on Vice and Sex Tourism Amid Local Fury