'Vast profits' in exploiting trafficked women

PROSTITUTION is seen as a "market opportunity" for organised gangs trafficking women into Scotland, a police body warned MSPs yesterday.

The claim was made at a Scottish Parliament committee investigating the economic impact of human trafficking and migration.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) said people-smuggling generates large amounts of money for gangs and opportunistic criminals, particularly in the Strathclyde force area.

It also described the multimillion-pound cost to the economy of benefit fraud linked to migration.

In a submission to Holyrood's equal opportunities committee, Acpos said: "The existence of an illicit sex industry in Strathclyde and the rest of Scotland is seen as a market opportunity, and there is evidence that criminal gangs, involved in large-scale organised prostitution rings, traffic women into the UK.

"Prostitution and escort services generate vast amounts of profit for the criminals, not to mention the harm to the individuals, who are exploited and require intensive support to reclaim their lives."

It costs about 3,000 to support each victim of trafficking, Acpos estimated.

Politicians have called for dedicated government funds to tackle the problem before the Commonwealth Games comes to Glasgow in 2014.

It was claimed last year that "well-paid construction workers" might increase demand for prostitution in the city.

The Scottish Government has said it is funding the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency to establish a new unit which will target human trafficking as well as other forms of organised crime.

The equal opportunities committee is to hold wider discussion on the issues next week.