Twelve women who were working illegally as prostitutes have been identified in the Carinthian cities of Klagenfurt and Villach. The individuals are Romanian and Hungarian nationals between the ages of 18 and 25. Investigations into the pimps behind the operation are still ongoing, according to police on Monday.

The operation had already been carried out last week and focused on sexual exploitation, human trafficking, pimping, and cross-border prostitution networks. In two of the cases, further investigations are being conducted against suspected pimps or other individuals involved. Ten women were arrested and deported to their home countries.

According to the police, there is suspicion that some of the women may have fallen victim to the so-called “loverboy method.” “Due to this method, women often do not see themselves as victims and believe they are engaging in illegal sex work voluntarily,” a police statement noted. In many cases, the women cited financial difficulties as the reason for engaging in prostitution. Often, meetings were organized in the name of the women by “contact persons” who also supervised the encounters. Investigations into these circumstances are still ongoing.