German and Hungarian Authorities Take Down Violent Human Trafficking Ring
After a lengthy investigation, European law enforcement agencies dismantled a criminal network of human traffickers earlier this month.
The German Criminal Inspectorate (Karlsruhe Kriminalinspektion) and the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation THB Unit (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda Emberkereskedelem Elleni Osztály), with support from Europol, conducted nine house searches and seven arrests across Germany and Hungary on 15 January 2023. Europol released details on the investigation on 23 January 2025.
Law enforcement began investigating this criminal organization in 2023. The group used the lover boy technique to recruit young women from the same region in Hungary. It would lure young women with either affection or false guarantees of good job opportunities abroad, according to Europol.
Once a woman was isolated and under the group’s control, she was transported to Germany, where she would be forced into street prostitution under the threat or delivery of violence. According to a press release issued by Europol, the traffickers were nearly all male, with the exception of one woman who would oversee and manage the trafficked women at a brothel.
Europol supported the operation by coordinating operational activities, facilitating information exchanges, and providing analytical support throughout the length of the investigation.
German and Hungarian law enforcement identified 11 victims in Germany and Hungary and made several seizures, including two properties, two vehicles, phones, documents, and cash. On 15 January, Europol provided an expert to cross-check operational information in real time and support investigators in the field.
The lover boy method is not unique to this group or to Germany. Criminals using this technique target a victim, identifying any vulnerabilities and using them to seduce the person with gifts and promises of a better life. Pledging undying true love, the scammer works to and ultimately convinces the victim to emotionally depend on the scammer, eroding ties with families and friends.
The criminals will then convince victims to move away from their families and other support networks so that once effectively isolated, they are forced into prostitution. Victims are coerced and manipulated through affection to continue earning under the threat of violence, with threats possibly levied against both them and their families.
In late 2023, Spanish authorities arrested nine suspects and rescued 14 victims from a criminal group that used lover boys to traffic and sexually exploit women. Another 10 victims were identified in Romania, according to a news report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
Europol has provided a short guide on how to identify attempts to recruit someone through this method and how to avoid falling for it.
- Scammers reach out to recruit young victims either online or in person. Victims tend to be in a vulnerable situation, either economically, socially, or psychologically.
- Using social media and online resources, perpetrators find personal information about a potential victim, including how educated he or she is, who their family and friends are, and their economic status.
- Other times, a recruiter may approach someone in a social setting and begin grooming in person—showing the victim affection and empathy, giving gifts, and gaining trust.
- To a victim, these recruiters seem kind, charming, and caring. So, it’s likely the victim won’t see the red flags that start to wave.
- Using social media and online resources, perpetrators find personal information about a potential victim, including how educated he or she is, who their family and friends are, and their economic status.
- The red flags—controlling or exploitative behavior:
- The offender questions the victim’s confidence or independence.
- The scammer isolates the victim from friends and family.
- Once an offender has the victim’s trust and dependence, they may start to act aggressively or violently towards the victim.
- The recruiter might also demand or force the victim to engage in prostitution or other activities he or she doesn’t consent to. The recruiter may promise that this is temporary and that earnings will be used for their future plans.
- The offender questions the victim’s confidence or independence.