A mother-daughter duo had turned the “management” of brothels into a family business. A 73-year-old woman—already incarcerated in Korydallos Prison—and her daughter were allegedly the top leaders of a major pimping ring, which was dismantled by the Greek police (EL.AS.) with the assistance of the NGOs OUR RESCUE and A21.

A total of 26 people were arrested, while charges were also filed against six more individuals.

The 73-year-old, known as “Marina”, was already familiar to the authorities, as she had been implicated in both the Ilioupoli trafficking case and the so-called Greek Mafia.

According to protothema.gr, Marina held the top leadership position within the organization, and the fact that she was behind bars didn’t slow down her criminal activities. She relied on her daughter as her “right-hand woman”, who acted under her direct instructions.

According to EL.AS., the two women controlled and profited from multiple brothels across Athens. To avoid being directly linked to these establishments, they had various foreign nationals (acting as “straw men”)—mostly Bulgarian citizens—sign the lease agreements for the properties used as brothels. These “frontmen” were either not physically present in Greece or, in some cases, had already passed away before the rental contracts were even drawn up. As a result, if law enforcement conducted a raid on these brothels, it would be nearly impossible to trace them back to the true operators.

The operational side of the criminal organization was handled by a Bulgarian and a Colombian, who were responsible for picking up, transporting, and housing vulnerable women from Latin American countries in the gang’s apartments in Athens. Once there, the women were forcibly detained and deprived of their freedom.

A particularly disturbing incident took place in late December: the Bulgarian abducted a Colombian woman, using violence and threats, and illegally held her captive in an Athens apartment for six days. During her confinement, he drugged her with unknown substances without her knowledge and sexually assaulted her. He also threatened her, trying to force her into prostitution for his own profit.

Another gang member was responsible for running the brothels, where he sexually exploited women to generate illegal profits. Additionally, two Bulgarian women in the organization were in charge of recruiting vulnerable women and keeping the brothels running smoothly.

One of these women kept constant contact with the ringleaders, receiving instructions on handling the cash flow from the brothels. She then delivered the earnings to the 73-year-old’s daughter.

Another eye-catching detail is that one gang member was solely responsible for tampering with electricity meters at the brothels. The goal? To manipulate power readings, reducing reported electricity consumption and maximizing their profits.

Meanwhile, an accountant from Ilion was also actively involved in the ring. Using his professional expertise, he handled rental agreements (including leases and subleases) for the criminal organization. He knew full well that these contracts involved “straw men” and was instrumental in concealing the true ownership and operation of the brothels.

As part of the February 14-15 police operation, raids were carried out on brothels, residences, and an accounting office, where authorities seized:

• 2 cars
• An airgun
• A large number of digital devices (mobile phones, computers, cameras, recording equipment)
• Documents and notes related to property leases
• Tampered plastic DEI (electricity provider) meter seals
• €21,762 in cash

At the same time, protection and support were provided to 24 foreign women, 20 of whom were identified as potential victims of human trafficking, while four were officially recognized as victims.