FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique, Nov 20, CMC – French authorities say several foreign nationals have appeared before a judge on charges of aggravated pimping and aiding individuals to remain in Martinique illegally.
Pimping is the action or practice of controlling prostitutes and arranging clients for them, taking part of their earnings in return.
A brief statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office said those arrested are from St. Lucia, Haiti, the Dominica Republic and French nationals.
The authorities said they had been carrying out the probe into the pimping ring since March and that those arrested also face money laundering and violating drug laws. Five of the six people charged were in pretrial detention.
“It appeared that individuals were bringing in young women from Dominica and Haiti to exploit their prostitution and make substantial profits estimated at 680,000 euros,” according to the statement issued by the office of the Public Prosecutor.
It gave no further details.
