DIICOT has dismantled a network coordinated by the Burtea clan, suspected of sexually exploiting 30 young women in Europe

DIICOT prosecutors carried out 57 searches on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Romania, Germany and Austria, as part of a case involving human trafficking, pimping and supporting a criminal group. According to investigators and Newsweek România sources, the network was allegedly coordinated by members of the Burtea clan from Bucharest and sexually exploited approximately 30 young women.

The group was allegedly formed in Bucharest in January 2020 around a core of related individuals. The suspects allegedly recruited victims using the “lover boy” method, pretending to engage in romantic relationships, after which they controlled them through emotional blackmail and violence. The young women were transported to Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, where they were housed, advertised on specialized websites and sent to clients.

Investigators claim that the group, consisting of approximately 30 people, allegedly obtained and moved more than 3 million euros through bank transfers, rapid money-transfer services and the transportation of cash. In some cases, members of the network allegedly traveled abroad to collect the money and maintain control over the victims.

Two police officers are also targeted in the case, suspected of having disclosed information about complaints and investigations and of attempting to delay the inquiries. One of the officers allegedly accessed Ministry of Internal Affairs databases without justification.

The searches took place in Bucharest, Ilfov and Buzău, as well as in Nuremberg, Hamburg, Freiburg, Stuttgart and Vienna. The operation is being carried out with the support of Europol and the German authorities, under the coordination of a joint investigation team established through Eurojust. The suspects are being questioned at DIICOT.