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Women for sale in the Gatwick slave auctions
Last updated at 23:07pm on 07.03.07
Sex-slave gangs are making the UK their number one target
Women are being sold into prostitution in modern day "slave auctions" at Britain's airports, it emerged yesterday.
The illegal immigrants are sold to the highest bidder for up to £8,000 a time. They are then forced to work in brothels where they can earn up to £800 a day for their "owner".
The chilling reality of human trafficking was spelled out yesterday by senior police officers at Scotland Yard.
Detective Superintendent Mark Ponting, of the Metropolitan Police, said young women from all over the world are trafficked into Britain after being promised well-paid work in bars or cafes.
But within hours of their arrival, they are sold to pimps. The youngest known girl victim was just 14.
In one notorious case, women were openly sold outside a coffee shop at Gatwick Airport.
Officers believe women are frequently raped, locked in flats and given no money to prevent them from running away from their captors.
Mr Ponting said: "There is some intelligence to suggest that individuals are sold at locations close to airports. One woman could fetch between £6,000 and £8,000. She could then earn her buyer £800 a day. It is appalling.
"These traffickers are making huge amounts of money from it and that is what we are trying to break. It has become a market.
"You have to remember the trauma and difficulties associated with this crime. Many of these women are so traumatised that it is just inconceivable they would give evidence in a trial.
"These women have been held against their will, raped many times and their lives have been ruined. That is why the courts treat this offence so seriously."
Commander Sue Wilkinson, also of the Met, added: "This trafficking has been reported as modern day slavery. I would not argue with that."
Scotland Yard yesterday launched a dedicated human trafficking team.
The 11-strong unit will be based in the capital and will seek to smash the gangs who force immigrants into brothels and sweatshops.
Reader views (17)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
It is an awful thing to have going on. This at least has been uncovered. What about, however, the hundreds of others that are out there? There have been campaigns going on lately to raise awareness. People need to raise the alarm even if they only suspect there is some impropriety going on. The odds of terrible things happening to these poor souls only gets worse until someone calls it in. Wake up people!
- Toby, Jubail, Saudi Arabia
This is a serious problem. Human Trafficing isn't a joke, people are stealing and abducting women in chidren and SELLING them, MAKING them into SEX Slaves, making them addicted to drugs, beating them, raping them,.... on and on against their will. This has nothing to do with whether prostitution is legal, illegal, immoral etc. This is a big problem that needs to be stopped and the victims need to be helped. And the United States is the biggest buyer in the Slave Market.
- Kristin, Rhode Island
Young girls really have no idea what slavery means. To a young girl possession sometimes means to them that the man really loves them and wants only them. They have no concept of what rape really means either. So when you hear a young girl say that she wants to be a submissive slave to a man...remember that she probably has no idea what the reality means. Step in and try to explain what it means and report the man who is soliciting her to the nearest authorities.
- Sprytling, Bushkill, USA
Some women like to be slaves. If they truly had any idea of the true value of their chastity and honour, they would never sleep with a man outside the boundaries of marriage. Prostitution must be banned. This is a form of adultery and will definitely lead to hell. In fact, there will never be equality of rights between man and woman, as they both differ physically and each will have their own rights based on whether they are male or female.
- Phoenix, Saudi Arabia
is it only in uk
- Gary, frankston texas
women should be free in this country slavery should be banned and the creeps that do this sort of thing should be put behind bars and treated the same way to see if they like it
- Philip Law, oxford england
what is their # and do they do long term?
- Mark Hargett, maryland usa
We live in a world where men are infuenced by Satan...Satan for those who dont know is a person just like us but is of spirit and through his disobedience to God was cast out of heaven to this earth and does not have a physical body. He along with millions of his followers who in fact are our brothers and sisters were cast down to this earth from Gods precence never to have a physical body like us....at that time he vowed to posess the bodies of Adam's posterity which is us...as you look at these men who traffic in Gods children you wonder how they could do such a thing. Well these men have allowed themselves through sin and the way in whcih they live there lives to be influenced by Satan with thoughts and acts of darkness which has desensitised them from all that is good..then they are his agents, and as such cannot tolerate anythng that is good, and are drawn to all that is dark and loathsome, they perpertrate filth and debourchery wherever they go and have lost their conceince and many are posessed. The men and women who do this will only change permanantly when they yeild to the light of Christ and repent of what they have done. Though that is very unlikely. If these men were in Suadia Arabia they would be put to death for such a crime. Can you imagine what these girls are going through..what about the parents and loved ones, it does not bear thinking about.. but we must act to help stop such wickedness. I am willing to join the team and help bring these men to justice..
- John From Southampton Uk, Southampton
This is sad. It happens all over the world, and it should be stopped. I hope those who sell these women will receive very long penalties.
- Ayli Fenster, London; England
This is disgusting... OMG!
- Jenny Juluxilay, Denver
There's a difference between a woman who believes she has a legitimate job waiting for her in Europe and ends up a prostitute and somebody coming over the border in Texas looking for work. Stopping illegal immigration won't stop slavery, only vigorous prosecution of traffickers and heavy prison sentences will. Prosecuting corrupt police and government officials wouldn't hurt either.
- Joe Macri, Spanaway, USA
If you want to stop prostitution and the slavery that goes with it, then put the "johns" in jail with heavy penalties. The market will dry up and no money will be made. Simple supply and demand economics.
- Jen, Houston
We have the same situation here. Mexican thugs smuggle in women and children, some as young as 12 years old. Being that Mexico shares a physical border with the US, thousand are smuggled in daily. As soon as one group is uncovered, another springs up. Frequently its rival gangs who tip off the police,so as to eliminate the competition. My government does next to nothing to stop it. Its beyond disgraceful.
- John Mcdonald, Brick, New Jersey, USA
The issue with illegal immigration and slavery are getting too close together. Stop illegal immigration and you stop the slavery. Then work on the social and economic reasons for them wanting to come here.
- Kevin Anderson, Plano, Texas
Makes a mockery of the current emphasis for making apologies for events many years ago, when slavery is actively happening in the UK, right here, right now!
- Steve R, London, UK
Given that human trafficking has been going on for many years now. And the appalingly low number of rescues. From the 1,000s of enslaved humans in the UK I have only read of an incident in which 19 were freed. As well as internet reports of trans atlantic government officers involvement in perpetuating this condition.
This leads me to imagine that elected ministers are turning a blind eye to the plight of people enslaved.
- David Hughes, Darlington, England
Time to end ALL slavery.
But to end it means ending illegal immigration. Then, the women won't need to hide.
- Justa Thought, USA
