Three people have been remanded in custody charged with human trafficking for sexual exploitation and brothel keeping.
Petru Samuel Balogh (26) from Hugh Street, Belfast; Flortina Ciurar (35) also from Hugh Street; and Ioan Mihai (29) from Coombe Hill Park in the city appeared before a district judge at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
The three, all Romanian nationals, have also been charged with controlling prostitution for gain and money laundering offences.
The charges follow a significant operation conducted jointly between the PSNI’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit and Romanian authorities into an organised crime group.
The operation focused on the activities of a group suspected of trafficking young Romanian women throughout Northern Ireland for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Balogh, Ciurar and Mihai appeared together in the dock for the hearing before District Judge John Meehan.
Using an interpreter, all three confirmed they understood the charges facing them.
A police detective constable, who said she could connect them to the charges, said they were detained following a year-long policing operation.
Balogh and Ciurar made no application for bail. Mihai’s solicitor made a bail application, which was rejected by Judge Meehan.
All three will appear again before court next month.
Details of the case were outlined by the detective constable during Mihai’s bail application.
The court heard the investigation was triggered when a woman presented to police claiming she had fled Balogh and Ciurar.
The woman claimed she had been enticed to Northern Ireland by the promise of a job at an Amazon warehouse.
“On arrival, she was told there was no such employment and she would be working as a prostitute,” the officer said.
Turning to the case against Mihai, the officer told the judge that the accused took out a tenancy at a property in Newtownabbey that was used as a brothel.
The officer said when police visited this property, Mihai claimed he was there as a “sex buyer”.
The detective constable said the investigation has found evidence that more than £45,000 has been deposited in Mihai’s account as a result of his alleged involvement in trafficking.
Defence solicitor Ciaran Toner, however, rejected the assertion that his client was involved in any organised crime or exploitation.
He said Mihai did not deny involvement in the sex trade but insists he was in a business arrangement with a willing prostitute.
The solicitor said the woman denies she is a victim of trafficking or that she has been coerced.
The woman also claims she gained financially from the arrangement, the court heard.
Mr Toner acknowledged the woman has declined to make a statement to police.
“The idea this is some sort of sophisticated organised crime is not the case,” said the solicitor.
The judge refused the bail application, citing a risk of interfering with witnesses, committing further offences and a risk of fleeing the jurisdiction.