After a relentless three-year investigation, police have successfully jailed a Smethwick couple responsible for trafficking and exploiting more than twelve women. The pair were identified through intelligence linking them to online advertisements offering women for prostitution.
Luigi Cucu, aged 46, and Costela Soare, aged 37, both residents of Smethwick, Sandwell, were arrested in March 2023. Cucu faced charges of organising travel for exploitation and controlling prostitution for profit, while Soare was charged with controlling prostitution for gain.
On November 21, 2023, both defendants pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Luigi Cucu received a sentence of nine years and seven months in prison. Costela Soare was sentenced to three years and two months behind bars for her involvement in these crimes.
Authorities commented, “This case shines a spotlight on the ongoing fight against human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK. It sends a strong message to those exploiting vulnerable women for profit.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
