News

Spanish police say they have broken up a human-trafficking gang that brought men to the country to work as prostitutes.

Police say the operation, which included the arrests of 14 people on suspicion of running the organization and another 17 alleged prostitutes for being in Spain illegally, was the first crackdown of this type of operation.

A police statement Tuesday says the men were recruited in Brazil and saddled with debts of up to euro4,000 ($5,000) as the cost of bringing them to Spain.

The gang provided the men with cocaine, Viagra and the club scene drug known as “poppers” so they could be available for sex 24 hours a day.

The police statement said the arrests were made in recent weeks.