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CNN World Report

Spanish Police Uncovers Prostitution Scam

Aired May 20, 2001 - 14:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: Police in Spain have broken up a scam that forced Colombian women to become prostitutes. The scheme is at the center of an illegal immigration operation that was supposed to organize marriages between Galician men and Colombian women seeking Spanish nationality. Spain's TV Galicia reports on operation "Wedding Cake."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These Colombian women ended up working in clubs like this one, where they were forced to turn to prostitution. They were the victims of an international network that organized marriages between Colombian women and Spanish men so that they could be granted Spanish nationality.

This network was broken up by the state security forces in an operation called "Wedding Cake," with arrests of 24 Galicians and seven Colombians in the provinces of La Coruna and Lugo. Among those arrested, are the owners of the clubs "Las Phianires" (ph) in the province of Lugo and "Marisom" (ph) in the province of La Coruna, as well as the men who took part in these marriages.

A lawyer's office in La Coruna was in charge of organizing the necessary documents to carry out these wedding with young Galician men.

ARMONDA LORENZO TORRESO, LUGO CIVIL GUARD (through translator): The marry the Spanish men after paying amounts money that vary between $2,200 and $4,000. These were gentlemen aged between 18 and 24, some of whom were delinquents and drug addicts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The operation began at the beginning of the year 2000 after the police received a report.

Since then, 14 illegal marriages have been detected. These women were tricked into coming to Galicia, and once they were here, they were forced to turn to prostitution in order to pay their husbands of convenience who they did not see again after the wedding.

TORRESO (through translator): These women (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for young men to be able to get married and legalize their situation in Spain. They were definitely victims because they were tricked into coming here. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The judicial authorities in Lugo directed their investigation and now they are declaring these marriages null and void, as well as concerning the Spanish passports the Colombian women received.

This report has been prepared by Television de Galicia for CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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