Four people, all from the same family, have been sentenced as a result of an investigation into the trafficking of women from Europe into the UK for prostitution purposes.

The first modern slavery and human trafficking charges were secured by Northamptonshire Police during Operation Eton, which involved an organised crime gang making more than £20,000 per month from women they had trafficked into the country.

Jamie Dunn, 42, of Irons Road, Lower Harlestone, his father, Martin Dunn, 74, of Compton Street, Northampton, Jamie’s partner, Catalina Cojocaru, 37, of Irons Road, Lower Harlestone, and her brother Andrei Cojocaru, 26, of Wellingborough Road, Northampton, were all sentenced this week (June 14) at Northampton Crown Court for their roles in the organised operation, after pleading guilty at an earlier

Between November 2015 and January 2017, the group arranged for women to travel from Europe, primarily Romania, to engage in off-the-street prostitution in Northampton, and then, as the business expanded, in Nottingham, Birmingham, and other Midlands locations.

Jamie Dunn advertised up to 13 women working for the group on a sex worker website in December 2015 in order to attract clients. He was also in charge of locating properties that would later be used as brothels.

Catalina Cojocaru’s role was critical in sourcing women from Europe to travel to the UK as sex workers, and she was in charge of the day-to-day operations.

Police discovered lists and text messages indicating that Catalina served as the sex workers’ “boss,” maintaining daily contact with them and keeping track of their daily earnings. Evidence showed that this amount could reach £1,640 per day, with the gang taking 50% from each woman.

Andrei Cojocaru was discovered in possession of 12 mobile phones, seven of which had the names of the sex workers written on the back so he knew which booking was for which woman.

He would engage with clients who believed they were communicating with the advertised women and then direct them to the property.

His responsibilities also included topping up mobile phones and transporting trafficked women from airports.

Martin Dunn provided the initial funding, having recently received a large sum of money from the sale of his home. He also paid for airline tickets for a number of women arriving in the UK and assisted in their collection from airports. He also funded hotels and serviced apartments for sex workers.

Following the investigation, Jamie Dunn was charged with two counts of conspiring to arrange or facilitate another person’s travel to the UK with the intent of exploiting them, conspiring to control prostitution for profit, and acquiring criminal property. He received a total sentence of four years and nine months in prison.

Catalina Cojocaru was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison after being charged with two counts of conspiring to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person to the UK with the intent of exploiting them and conspiring to control prostitution for gain.

Andrei Cojocaru was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for 14 months, plus 150 hours of unpaid work for the crime of conspiring to control prostitution for profit, while Martin Dunn was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work for the crime of acquiring criminal property.

This was a very complex and lengthy investigation,” said Senior Investigating Officer – Detective Inspector Carrie Powers, “but I am really pleased that through it, we were able to secure the Force’s first charges under modern-day slavery legislation and obtain guilty verdicts for all four offenders.

“With the false promise of a better life in the UK, this organised crime gang exploited vulnerable women.” Instead, they compelled them to have sex with a large number of men, with no regard for their rights or well-being.

“These women worked long hours only to have a large portion of their earnings taken away by the gang and used to fund luxurious lifestyles.”

Investigating these types of cases may be difficult, but Northamptonshire Police is unwavering in its commitment to combating modern slavery and bringing those who exploit vulnerable members of our community to justice.

The illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain is known as modern slavery. It covers a wide range of exploitation and abuse. Modern slavery victims can be of any age, gender, nationality, or ethnicity. They are duped or threatened into working and, as a result, may feel unable to leave or report the crime. They may fail to recognise themselves as victims.

To report a suspicion of modern slavery or for advice, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 in confidence. This is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.