A “prolific sex trafficker” has been convicted after moving a group of Brazilian women to London to be sexually exploited.
Roland Cankaj, 43, was arrested at Stansted Airport and later pleaded guilty to fraud and keeping a brothel to be used by prostitutes.
The Met Police’s modern slavery team launched an investigation into an organised crime network named the Cankaj Brotherhood in 2022 with intelligence leading to a group trafficking Brazilian women into the UK to be sexually exploited.
The investigation revealed Cankaj was renting an apartment in Tower Hamlets under a false passport.
Officers began to observe Cankaj’s movements and saw him drive young women to addresses and wait outside in the car while the women went inside.
He was also seen taking provocative pictures of young women outside London landmarks which were used to advertise sexual services.
A brothel in Tower Hamlets, run by Cankaj, was uncovered. Inside the rooms were sparsely furnished and contained items associated with sex work.
Six victims were identified and during an interview, one of the women explained she had worked as a beautician in Brazil and got into conversation with Cankaj about money.
He arranged for her to come to the UK and moved her between various addresses to have sex with men before taking half the money.
She explained she sometimes saw 10 to 15 men a day.
Cankaj was arrested on April 20 and found guilty on Wednesday at Croydon Crown Court of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
Detective Sergeant Andy Owen, who led the investigation, said: “Cankaj tricked these women into a false sense of security, making them believe that this exploitation was a way of them gaining financial freedom.
“In fact, he was the one financially benefitting, making a career out of orchestrating prostitution with vulnerable victims.
“This was a complex investigation led by the Met and I am pleased our work has led to justice for these women.
“The key to our success was building the victim’s trust in the police - Justice & Care were integral in achieving this, providing support to these women who had spent years being exploited and ensuring they felt safe and supported to share their stories.
“The Met are dedicated to protecting vulnerable people - we rely on information from our communities to continue tackling exploitation and modern slavery in London.
“If you’re suspicious about possible exploitation in your area, or you’re concerned about someone who may be a victim, please contact us.”
Julie Currie, Victim Navigator Programme Coordinator at Justice & Care, who supported one of the victims said: “We are proud to support the survivor to bring her trafficker to justice, and commend her bravery in supporting this case.
“As this case shows, modern slavery is brutal and it is everywhere - with an estimated 122,000 victims currently trapped in exploitation in the UK.
“Our Navigators are deployed into the heart of the Metropolitan Police, and many other police forces across the UK, and are often there from the moment a potential victim is identified to help them feel safe.
“They work helping survivors to start to rebuild their lives and support them to engage with the criminal justice process.
“This case is just one example of the incredible partnership between Justice and Care and the Metropolitan Police.
”Every member of the public can help us stop this crime by learning the signs of modern slavery and reporting concerns to police.”
