Big operation against massage and escort centers: Close 10 locals, 8 arrested

The report states that the operation was led by the Directorate for Trafficking in Human Being Investigation and included local checks of live music, massage centre, street identification operations as potential victims of trafficking, and a tactical plan to fight prostitution through escorts.

According to police, four cases of counter-injury “prostitution have been recorded during the action, while eight persons -- four Kosovo citizens and four foreign citizens -- two from Brazil and two from Colombia -- have been arrested respectively.

Under the raids, 59 locals have been inspected with live music throughout Kosovo's territory, where 420 people have been identified. Of them, 186 were Kosovo citizens, while 234 foreign citizens, mainly from Albania, but also from Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria. Six locals have been found closed, while nine others have been closed for administrative violations by industry ministry inspectors, entrepreneurship and trade (MINT).

Also checked are 62 massage centers where 104 people, mostly women, have been encountered. Of these centres, 10 have been closed for administrative violations.

Police suggest that, despite intensive checks, no case of criminal activity “Trafficking with people has been identified during this operation.

According to the announcement, seven more cases have been recorded during the operation, where seven women -- four citizens of Albania, one of Montenegro and two of Kosovo -- have been found looking for street charities along with their children.

13 children have been treated in co-operation with the Centres for Social Work, while procedures have been initiated to suspect criminal activity “Kertaging or abandoning the child”.

Other Kosovo Police units, including the Border Department, special units, the Narcotics Trafficking Investigation Directorate, and officials from regional police directors, have participated in the operation. The event is supported by the Market Central Inspectorate, Labour Inspectorate, Kosovo Tax Administration and the Centres for Social Work.

Police point out that all the women encountered working at local music live, massage centres and in escort cases have been interviewed and offered the opportunity to declare whether they were victims of any form of exploitation or trafficking.

According to authorities, none of them have claimed to be the victim of human trafficking.