350 women are known to have been working for the group, most of them foreigners and 25% of them without legal residence in Spain

105 people were arrested across Spain on Friday as prostitution network which recruited members and clients in the small ads of Spanish newspapers was broken up.

The National Police consider that the group controlled half of all the contact advertising in the press, and made a monthly profit of more than 700,000 €. Between 30,000 and 45,000 € was spent monthly in each newspaper and contacts were also established with taxi drivers and hotel receptionists, who were paid some 50 € for sending clients.

More than 350 women are known to have been working for the group, most of them foreigners and 25% of them without legal residence in Spain, living in cramped hostel like conditions, but working in the luxury chalets and buildings in Madrid. All the women were subjected to direct supervision and strict control.
Police taped up 13 ‘prostitution centres’ located in the upper class areas of the capital.

In one of the women’s rooms police found a notice which indicated that the group was going to stop advertising in the press, and concentrate on the Internet.

Police say the network was established 15 years ago and was organised by a 63 year old man of Saudi origin, named as Kas S.A. He obtained Spanish nationality in 1999 and set up some 15 different companies to launder the high profits he was making.

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