Three men jailed over prostitution ring uncovered in Wales

Three men have been jailed for a combined total of thirteen years and two months for their roles in a human trafficking and prostitution ring, following a police investigation that began in south Wales.

George Filip, 45, Alexandru Moco, 26, and Leonard Banica, 41, targeted 16 vulnerable women bringing them into the country to work as sex workers.

Ionela Filip, 34, also worked with the trio to run the prostitution ring, using the women for their own financial gain.

All pleaded guilty to multiple offences and were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday 30 October.

The investigation into their crimes started in 2020 following reports of suspicious behaviour at properties in Newport.

The group worked together, exploiting women and moving them to different locations in Newport, Birmingham and Scotland in an effort to keep their crimes under the radar.

Detective Superintendent Robin Fuller, from Gwent Police, the senior investigating officer, said: “This was a complex investigation that involved meticulous enquiries, evidence gathering and partnership working in an effort to prosecute this group of people.

“Officers disrupted their criminal business in 2020 when warrants were executed at a number of locations in Newport leading to arrests.

“During the investigation three of the offenders Goerge Filip, Leonard Banica, and Alex Moco all fled the country to try and evade justice. However, we worked with our criminal justice partners internationally to bring them back to be held accountable for their crimes.

“The examination of bank accounts showed the group was making huge amounts of cash from the illegal business they’d been running since 2015.

“All initially denied being involved in any criminal activity but with the strength of evidence that we were able to present they pleaded guilty to various offences.”

George Filip, 45, of no fixed address, was sentenced to eight years and two months after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to traffic x 4
• Conspiracy to control prostitution for gain x 3
• Trafficking into the United Kingdom of another person of another person for sexual exploitation x 1
• Transferring criminal property x 2
• Removing criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland x1.

Leonard Banica, 41, of Romania, was sentenced to three years and nine months after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to control prostitution for gain x 3
• Conspiracy to traffic x 1
• Transferring criminal property x 2.

Alexandru Moco, 27, of Friary Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to control prostitution for gain x 1
• Conspiracy to traffic x 1
• Being concerned in an arrangement which facilitates the acquisition, retention, use of control of criminal property by another x 1.

Ionela Filip, 35, of Waterloo Road, Smethwick, received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to:

• Conspiracy to control prostitution for gain x 3
• Transferring criminal property x 2
• Removing criminal property from England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland x1.