Barcode Pimps Tattoo Prostitutes to Mark Them as Owned

Madrid, Spain – The Associated Press is reporting that more than 20 pimps have been arrested by Spanish police across Madrid. Some of the pimps went as far as to tattoo a barcode on their women to denote ownership.

The Daily Mail is reporting that one 19 year old girl has a bar code and the amount of money she owed the Pimp tattooed on her wrist. The prostitutes were marked with bar codes after the tried to escape so that anyone finding them would know who their owners were. This one freed women claims she was whipped, beaten, tied t a radiator and had her eyebrows and head shaved as punishment.

All 22 of the pimps arrested were of Romanian decent. The Spanish police are naming the group the “barcode pimps” In addition to the arrests, police seized more than $185,000 in cash, illegal firearms, swords, machetes, gold jewelry and luxury vehicles.

One of the ring leaders, by the name of Iancu T., was also wanted in his country for crimes related to prostitution, La Razón reports. Iancu allegedly made false promises of legitimate work to women to ensnare them, only to force the women into prostitution in various clubs throughout the community of Madrid as well as along Calle Montera, a street in central Madrid.

Sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry in Spain, where the legalities of prostitution fall into a murky grey area. Pimping is outlawed, while prostitution is not regulated. Most of Spain’s sex laborers are poor immigrants from South America, Africa and Eastern Europe.

Do you think that these pimps should spend the rest of their lives in prison?