Arrests as West Midlands Police 'smash £13m Birmingham brothel'
A suspected brothel said to be the front for a £13m money laundering front was raided by up to 50 police today, leading to seven arrests and the seizure of £50,000.
The dawn raid targeted Birmingham's Libra Club on Summerhill Road and was said to have followed months of surveillance.
Police allege the Libra Club was a 'highly profitable brothel', making £13m in its three-year history. Twenty women worked there at any one time, attracting 200 customers a day, it is alleged.
Simultaneous raids were launched at the Sunset Club lap-dancing bar in Birmingham city centre, said to be a sister venue of Libra, as well as the homes of people said by police to be 'club bosses' around the city.
A woman aged 29 and a 24-year-old man were arrested from the Libra Club and Sunset Club, respectively, on suspicion of managing a brothel, whilst a 25-year-old woman was also arrested from the Sunset Club on suspicion of money laundering.
Three more women ? aged 47, 54 and 63 ? plus a 64-year-old man were arrested during the other house raids, whilst around £50,000 in cash was seized.
Warrants were carried out at residential addresses in Rotton Park Road and Pershore Road in Edgbaston, plus Slade Road, Hall Green, and Sunderton Road in Kings Heath.[/breakout]
Police are now trying to get a court order that will force the closure of the venues for the next three months.
Sergeant Tony Smith: ""This morning's raid was months in the planning and is in response to concerns from local residents and a series of series incidents there including a shotgun discharge, an arson attack and several violent disorders.
"Brothels are often linked to wider criminality like money laundering and other organised crime…and as this operation shows we will take decisive action against suspected illegal venues."
Specialist staff from the Serious & Organised Crime Unit and the Regional Asset Recovery Team joined local police officers on the raids.
Sgt Smith, added: "Officers found 13 women working at the Libra Club at the time of the warrant; it was established by trained officers supported by specialist independent outreach workers that none were there under any form of duress."
