A group of Colombian women who were allegedly lured to Malta as human trafficking victims saw over 2,000 clients in three months, a court heard on Tuesday. 

Police Inspector John Spiteri testified in the case against Luke Farrugia, 36, Clint Lawrence D'Amato, Denzil Farrugia, 19, Kane Vassallo, 22, Gordon Cassar, 44, Luca Emanuele Corita, 21, Dylan McKay, 30, Alexandra Suhov Pocora, 32, and her partner Nicolae Efimov, 37. 

They are all facing various charges related to human trafficking and subsequently running several brothels in apartments around Msida and Gżira. All are pleading not guilty. 

On Tuesday Spiteri described how a case police thought was simply about people who may have overstayed their visa unravelled into suspicions that the women were being used to run a brothel. 

Spiteri showed a series of videos grabbed from CCTV footage showing several of the defendants coming and going from one of the apartments that housed four of the victims.

Mobile data was not only integral to track the group's movement but also helped police identify Luke Farrugia as the suspected mastermind.

Chat logs allegedly reveal Farrugia giving orders to the other members of the group, as well as other important information on how the brothel operation was run. 

'Phantom boss'

Immigration police first flagged the case on suspicion that some third-country nationals had overstayed their legitimate work permits.  

When police raided the Msida flat, they found four women and a man, later identified as Kane Vassallo. 

Items found during the search indicated that the flat was being used for prostitution purposes. 

But when the women were questioned at police headquarters, a different picture began to emerge. 

The women said that they had been approached in Colombia by “a person” who told them to save a mobile number under a contact referred to by the Spanish equivalent of “phantom boss.”

They were sold on the promise that their new bosses would put them up in a luxury St Julian's resort for seven to ten days, where they would be free to meet with male clients. 

Their initial expenses would be fronted by the bosses, with the women being told that they would be able to repay them through the earnings they made in Malta. 

However, when they landed at the airport they were met by men who took them to a flat where they were to offer prostitution services to clients booked by their bosses. 

When the time was up for them to go home, the women discovered that they had not yet made enough money to settle the debt they had accrued with their bosses, forcing them to remain in the clutches of the criminal organisation. 

Not knowing who was the mastermind behind it all made them fearful, the women told the police. 

When a neighbour in the Msida apartment block housing the first brothel installed a security camera near the main entrance, D’Amato allegedly warned the other members in a group chat to “pay attention.” 

He also warned his associates not to take “friends” to the flat, telling them that he “did everything not to annoy neighbours” and to keep the activity at the flat as low-profile as possible. 

His anger was sensed in certain messages when the other defendants failed to follow suit whenever he was not around, Spiteri explained, making detailed references to the phone data retrieved.

D’Amato even took a picture of the newly installed CCTV camera and posted it in the group chat warning the others to “pay attention.” 

Police subsequently identified various members in that group chat.

‘Andrés’ was D’Amato, ‘Kane’ was Kane Vassallo, ‘L’ was Luke Farrugia, ‘Baby’ was Alexandra and ‘Tyson’ was Denzil Farrugia. 

Luke Farrugia appeared to issue instructions to the rest of the group, setting out a roster whereby Vassallo surveyed brothel operations on Tuesday morning, Denzil Farrugia on Thursday and Saturday and Alexandra took over on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. 

After the birth of her child, Alexandra's duties were taken over by her partner, Efimov.

Luke Farrugia had allegedly asked two of the victims, Colombian sisters, to send him photos he could post on escort services sites. 

His reply was a GIF showing a man splashing cash. 

An agent who handled travel arrangements for the women’s flights to Malta subsequently confirmed that Luke Farrugia made the bookings and always paid in cash. 

On April 2 at 8.40 pm, Luke Farrugia drove a motorcycle to the Msida block.

He was soon joined by D’Amato, McKay, Vassallo and a third party and together they transported a truckload of furniture and appliances into the apartment. 

Never left apartment alone

Later that month, two of the victims arrived at the apartment accompanied by Alexandra. 

Footage confirmed that for the next two months, the women never set foot outside the apartment alone, except to pick up food deliveries. 

One of the women was accompanied to an outcall service by Corito. D’Amato dropped her back at the flat at 3.20 am. 

The women were also accompanied to a St Julian’s hotel for a professional photoshoot.

The photographer confirmed that McKay had paid for the service so that the photos could be posted on escort sites. 

Between March 6 and June 11, “over 2,000 clients” went to the Msida flat, Spiteri said. 

Another 200 clients are also estimated to have gone to the Gżira brothel between July 30 and August 12. 

Under cross-examination, the inspector confirmed that McKay was a “paying client,” regularly visiting one of the prostitutes. 

'Important to keep clients happy'

Each of the women was linked to a mobile number. 

Mobile phones were kept by defendants according to their roster and used to deliver instructions to the victims.

Live cams at the brothels allowed the defendants to keep an eye on the goings on, both inside and outside the flats. 

When one of the women complained about a client who wanted unprotected oral sex, D’Amato angrily replied that “it was important to keep clients happy.” 

When arrested, Alexandra admitted her involvement in the racket, allegedly pointing at Luke Farrugia as the mastermind. 

That detail by Spiteri prompted an interruption in his testimony.

Vassallo cast a sideways glance at Luke Farrugia who was seated beside him in the dock and then turned round to snigger at Alexandra.

That facial expression and gesture were promptly spotted by presiding magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech who warned Vassallo that if he repeated such behaviour, he would be ordered out while the hearing continued in his absence. 

Asked by defence lawyer Franco Debono, the inspector confirmed that two of the alleged victims had come to Malta as prostitutes more than once, but they did so under different circumstances which they allegedly explained to police. 

Defence lawyer Joe Giglio asked about Cassar’s involvement in luring women to Malta, accompanying them on arrival, organizing the flats and the “menu of services.” 

Cassar did not feature in that respect "so far", Spiteri said, adding that more evidence was still to be put forward. 

The case continues.

AG lawyers Ramon Bonett Sladden and Charmaine Abdilla are prosecuting together with inspectors John Spiteri, Joseph Xerri and Dorianne Tabone.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Charles Mercieca, Roberto Montalto, Kathleen Calleja Grima, Joe Giglio, Michaela Giglio and Nicholas Mifsud assisted various defendants.

Lawyers Lara Dimitrijevic and Stephanie Caruana are appearing parte civile.