Kilkenny brothel raided in sex traffic probe
A KILKENNY brothel was raided by gardai at 7.30am on Wednesday morning and one female has been questioned by gardai. The apartment, from which the brothel was operating is in the city centre.
Local gardai and detectives and a number of officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda National Immigration Bureaua and Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation pounced on the premises, which is operating as a city centre whorehouse.
Many Kilkenny punters are believed to have committed statutory rape in recent months as young, vulnerable teenagers were trafficked into the southeast. At least one victim of underage human trafficking operated out of a Kilkenny brothel but it is believed that she was working alongside a number of other girls.
Earlier this year there was a terrifying human trafficking case involving a Nigerian minor who was brought to Kilkenny and forced into the sex trade. The brothel where this girl was imprisoned was located in Colliers Lane.
Although she appeared in court last July the youngster has since disappeared from the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE). In a separate case heard before Kilkenny District Court in May a Chinese nurse received a four month sentence for operating a brothel at Colliers Lane.
In the past 18 months The Kilkenny People has highlighted the growing sex trade in the city which is flourishing under our noses. The Kilkenny People has reported on a number of well known brothels which were doing business in the city centre.
Prostitutes are also travelling to Kilkenny from Waterford on a regular basis and are offering sex at a number of hotels, unknown to the management of these establishments.
Wednesday's raid on the Kilkenny brothel was part of a surveillance operation by An Garda Sochna, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Welsh and the United Kingdom Border Agency. The operation targeted the activities of an organised crime gang suspected of involvement in prostitution and suspected trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation.
A total of nine brothels were searched throughout this jurisdiction in Cavan, Drogheda, Athlone, Mullingar, Sligo, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy, Newbridge, and Waterford. Six further locations in the Carlow area, including offices of solicitors and accountants were also searched and a total of seven persons were arrested on suspicion of organising and managing prostitution. Four females, ranging in age from their mid 20's to early 50's and three males were also arrested.
Members of the computer crime unit are forensically examining a number of laptops. mobiles and MP3 players seized during the raid.
Simultaneous searches in Northern Ireland and Wales also took place.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Kilkenny
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
