Spanish police have rescued 39 women and girls allegedly smuggled in from Nigeria and trafficked into sex work by a notorious Nigerian gang.
Europol said the victims were kept in “squalid conditions in caves” and intimidated with juju threats.
Gang members forced the women into sex work in order to pay off a 30,000 euro (N13.3m) debt.
Eighty-nine people, including a famous but as yet unnamed Nigerian DJ, were arrested in connection with the arrest.
The DJ is said to have helped move victims to Spain and organise sexual exploitation across the country.
He was caught flying back into Spain after recording a music video.
Investigations began when an underage victim filed a complaint with the police, saying she had been pressured into trafficking by juju threats made in Nigeria.
Along with other victims, the girl was transferred from Nigeria to Spain via Libya and Italy.
The operation, which was carried out with police from the UK and Nigeria, is one of the biggest trafficking busts in Europe, Europol said.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported yesterday that following a 2016 investigation, the UK’s National Crime Agency flew to Barcelona to meet Mossos, the Catalan police, who conducted a probe into the Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC).
Information was passed over and the NCA, alongside partners in Madrid, conducted further investigation into the group, leading to these arrests.
The group is said to have cells, or nests as SEC called them, across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
It regularly moves women and narcotics between different cities in Europe depending on demand.
Europol says 41 house were searched in 11 Spanish cities and one city in the UK.
According to Europol, the criminal cartel had links to the Eiye brotherhood