Spanish cops smash 'voodoo' gang

Madrid - Spanish police have smashed a gang that used the threat of voodoo curses to force Nigerian women to work as prostitutes in Germany, arresting more than 50 people, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

It said the gang forged identity documents and work certificates "on a large scale" to facilitate illegal immigration.

"Many of these forgeries were intended for the introduction of Nigerians in Germany for sexual exploitation under the threat of voodoo," the ministry said in a statement.

It said 53 people were arrested in Spain, mostly in Madrid, and one in Germany in the operation, carried out in collaboration with German police.

Police searched 20 premises in various Spanish provinces and five German towns.

The gang also arranged fake marriages in Spain for Nigerians to obtain residency permits, the ministry said. - Sapa-AFP

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