A police officer in Cyprus has been detained for alleged involvement with a gang suspected of forcing dozens of Chinese immigrants to work as prostitutes.
Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said a court on Thursday ordered the officer – a chief inspector on the Aliens and Immigration Unit of Nicosia’s force – to be detained for seven days for an investigation. Four civilians – a Chinese woman and three other Greek Cypriots – also are in custody.
The suspects, whose names have been withheld, could face charges such as operating a brothel, prostitution, abuse of power, dereliction of duty and concealing earnings from illegal activities. All deny any wrongdoing.
The alleged ring was uncovered in a police raid Tuesday of four brothels in Nicosia.
Police are investigating 17 different cases related to pimping twenty-five women – among them a fifteen year-old Chinese girl – and possibly 19 men (their role and nationality was not specified). Nineteen of the forty-four people rounded up on Tuesday were illegal.
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