Two police officers are suspected of helping a sex trafficking network that allegedly exploited young women in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, according to Romania’s DIICOT. Prosecutors allege one officer passed information about a victim’s complaint, while the other tried to take over handling of the case to control and delay investigations. DIICOT says the group had around 30 members and generated more than three million euros through transfers and other methods. Investigators describe a recruitment approach based on the “loverboy” method. Victims were allegedly persuaded into prostitution, then kept under control through emotional blackmail and physical violence. Police say the criminal group also organized cross-border operations, including transporting victims between countries, renting accommodation, posting and promoting adverts on specialised websites, and traveling to meet clients. DIICOT and police conducted raids involving 36 search warrants in Romania, carried out in Bucharest and the counties of Ilfov and Buzău. A further 21 searches were carried out in Germany and Austria, including cities such as Nuremberg, Hamburg, Freiburg and Stuttgart, and in Vienna, where a club was also targeted. For the cross-border investigation, Romanian and German authorities set up a joint investigation team under Eurojust, with Europol and German police involved in the Romanian actions. Questioning is taking place at the DIICOT headquarters. DIICOT accuses the suspects of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking in persons, pimping, facilitating offenders, and disclosing service or non-public information. Authorities say the group was set up in Bucharest from January 2020 and operated until the present. So far, prosecutors have identified around 30 alleged victims. DIICOT reports that suspected money flows included bank transfers, rapid transfer services, cash transported by trusted drivers and other trusted people, and cash collected directly by members.