Italy cracks gang forcing Nigerian women into prostitution

By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Italian customs police say they have cracked a Nigerian organized crime syndicate that forced dozens of young women into prostitution and street-begging in Italy. The police said 40 suspects were arrested in raids in several Italian cities on Monday, including on the island of Sardinia. The investigation began after a Nigerian woman, brought illegally into Italy, said her fellow countrywomen were taking on debts as high as 50,000 euros ($56,000) to arrive, only to be forced into prostitution. The police said while the crime syndicate was based in Italy it ran operations in Germany, Libya and Nigeria. Much of the ill-gotten revenue flowed back into Nigeria as cash spent on real estate there.