BRUSSELS: Law enforcement in four European nations around the world have busted a criminal offense gang accused of employing young women of all ages to trick elderly Italian adult men out of their discounts, the European Union’s law enforcement agency mentioned Friday.
Europol stated the gang was mostly composed of customers of 1 Romanian spouse and children and utilised younger girls hired as domestic workers to defraud guys in between ages 70 and 90.
The company mentioned one particular of the victims dropped almost 20,000 euros ($21,176). Another endured two heart attacks soon after a youthful girl secretly slipped him Valium so accomplices could rob his property.
The gang targeted elderly adult males who were being isolated from their households, mostly in the southern Italian location of Calabria, Europol alleged.
The gals commonly began a physical connection with the gentlemen, then requested for funds, usually on the pretext of needing it for health and fitness issues or to aid a unwell family members member, the agency explained. Some of the gentlemen were being blackmailed if they refused.
Europol said the gang managed to rake in more than 1 million euros ($1.1 million), and laundered the revenue as a result of investments in real estate, vehicles and gold.
Authorities in Italy, Germany, Romania and the Netherlands, backed by Europol, swooped in on the gang Thursday, hunting 23 homes, arresting 13 suspects and seizing electronic equipment and files.
Europol stated the gang was mostly composed of customers of 1 Romanian spouse and children and utilised younger girls hired as domestic workers to defraud guys in between ages 70 and 90.
The company mentioned one particular of the victims dropped almost 20,000 euros ($21,176). Another endured two heart attacks soon after a youthful girl secretly slipped him Valium so accomplices could rob his property.
The gang targeted elderly adult males who were being isolated from their households, mostly in the southern Italian location of Calabria, Europol alleged.
The gals commonly began a physical connection with the gentlemen, then requested for funds, usually on the pretext of needing it for health and fitness issues or to aid a unwell family members member, the agency explained. Some of the gentlemen were being blackmailed if they refused.
Europol said the gang managed to rake in more than 1 million euros ($1.1 million), and laundered the revenue as a result of investments in real estate, vehicles and gold.
Authorities in Italy, Germany, Romania and the Netherlands, backed by Europol, swooped in on the gang Thursday, hunting 23 homes, arresting 13 suspects and seizing electronic equipment and files.
