Three individuals—a trio consisting of two men and one woman—associated with a Romanian crime syndicate were convicted for trafficking women into the UK and establishing a brothel in Swindon. Following a ten-week trial at Winchester Crown Court, Gigi Ciobanica, 46, residing in Birmingham's Grasmere Road, was found guilty of conspiracy to engage in human trafficking and money laundering. Priyantha Yakdehige, 54, from Purton's Vasterne Close, was convicted of human trafficking conspiracy and admitted guilt for money laundering. Cristina Olaru, 31, residing in Swindon's Commercial Road, was convicted of controlling prostitution for profit and money laundering.
The investigation into these heinous crimes had been ongoing since 2015. The gang trafficked young women from Romania to the UK, exploiting them in Swindon-based brothels. The victims were coerced into work at locations owned by Yakdehige, while Ciobanica and Olaru rented and controlled these properties, overseeing the workers and reaping a share of their earnings.
DS Richard Nelsen, part of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, highlighted Yakdehige's pivotal role in orchestrating the criminal enterprise. He arranged flights, accommodations, and facilitated the gang's operations. Ciobanica, identified as the gang's ringleader, managed the exploited females, ensuring profits through their transportation, housing, and activities, redirecting the earnings to build properties in Romania while evading taxes and exploiting others.
Olaru, Ciobanica's partner at the time, managed the sex workers' listings and their assigned addresses. DS Nelsen stressed the importance of community involvement in reporting such criminal activities, emphasizing that dismantling such operations requires collective efforts beyond law enforcement. The impending sentencing serves as a stern warning to those involved in similar nefarious activities.