NW Hungarians jailed

[scutty brown]

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Remember that NW Hungarian trafficking group I kept mentioning? Some of them have at last been put away

Interesting that NWROCU took this case on, suggests it was regarded as fairly serious

17/12/2024
A husband and wife from Bolton who trafficked women to the UK to be employed as sex workers were jailed for 13 years today.

Attila Angyal, 43, and Melinda Petrovics, 35, both of Fortune Street in Bolton, were members of an organised crime ring that exploited four Hungarian women.

In March 2022, NWROCU detectives opened an investigation in response to concerns raised by Lancashire Police following a harm reduction visit.  At a property in Mincing Lane in Blackburn, a woman identified herself as a sex worker and showed officers a classified ad for her sexual services on an adult sex website using her phone. 

Detectives discovered a network of brothels in Bolton, Blackburn, Preston, Oldham, and Birmingham. Four Hungarian women who had been exploited via prostitution and paid a fraction of what they earned have now been safeguarded.

Angyal and Petrovics were arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking through sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to control prostitution for gain.

They appeared at Bolton Crown Court today (Tuesday 17 December) and Angyal was jailed for seven years and seven months, while Petrovics received six years and four months.

The judge also imposed 10-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPO's) to protect potential victims from the physical or psychological harm which would result from a slavery or trafficking offence.

Angyal has previously been convicted for a string of offences including:

- 42 months imprisonment for Human Trafficking and money laundering offences in the Netherlands in March 2012
- 1 year, 3 months’ imprisonment for fraud offences in Hungary in August 2005.

A third person, Mohamed Maravia, 45, of Romford Road, Preston received an 18 month suspended sentence for two years for participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group. He was also ordered to pay a £500 pound contribution to the court costs.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Illingworth from the NWROCU said:

"This investigation involved a number of partner organisations including Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire Constabulary, West Midlands Police, TOEX, Bolton Social Services, Hope for Justice, and Black Country Women’s Aid, working together to ensure the victims were safeguarded and that the full scale of the crimes Angyal and Petrovics had committed could be proved.

[lewisjones23]

With a previous record like that, why on earth does this country let people move to this country? 🤷🏻‍♂️

As proven, not as if they are going to start being model citizens

[scutty brown]

you might recognise the woman from VS adverts

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[scutty brown]

more details

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Husband and wife traffickers kept women working for them as sex workers “enslaved” with “false debts," while taking half of their earnings.

Attila Angyal, 43, and Melinda Petrovic, 35, were brought before Bolton Crown Court alongside their accomplice, Preston man Mohamed Maravia, 45.

Their conspiracy, which involved trafficking four Hungarian women across England between October 2021 and November 2022, unravelled after a series of police visits to homes in Bolton and Blackburn.

Prosecutor Marte Alneas said: “The defendants would take at least 50 per cent of their earnings.

“Text messages show the victims were often in debt to the defendants but unaware as to why or how much.”
Angyal and Petrovic listened on through a Hungarian interpreter as their plot was laid bare before the court.

Ms Alneas told the court how Angyal dealt with arranging properties and trafficking victims, while Petrovic uploaded adverts online and controlled phone numbers.

She said that customers would be charged extra for “services” like unprotected sex, while the trafficked women were tightly controlled by Angyal and Petrovic.

All the while evidence showed father-of-seven Angyal “flaunting his wealth” by posing with cash and gold chains on Facebook messages.

He has shown “grooming” behaviour towards at least one of the women, who he beat so badly that she was left covered with bruises and unable to work.

Petrovic had controlled the same woman with threats, run the victims' telephone lines and directed them where to go and what to do.

Convicted sex offender Maravia’s role in the plot had been finding places for the victims to live and for the sex work to take place.

But the conspiracy started to unravel after a series of police harm reduction visits starting in Blackburn town centre in January 2022.

One of the women identified herself as a sex worker and showed the officers a classified ad for her sexual services on the website Vivastreet.

This was followed by visits to Heaton in May that same year, and Birmingham the following June, Heaton again in July and Preston in August.

Ms Alneas said that the victims at the houses would “frequently become agitated” and appeared “scared of divulging information.”

Online adverts and phone numbers were also traced back to the conspiracy, being controlled by Petrovic.

Petrovic would then arrange for sexual services, charging an extra £20 if customers wanted unprotected sex.

Ms Alnaes told the court how Angyal, who has previously been convicted of human trafficking in the Netherlands, had used the same “grooming techniques” on his latest victims.

This also included threats of violence, financial reliance, coercion and dishonest debts.

Ms Alnaes said: “Mr Angyal has, as seen from the details of his previous conviction, used sexual relationships as a grooming technique to lure his victims into working as a sex worker in the past.”

After Angyal and Petrovic’s arrests, phone evidence revealed Moravia’s involvement.

Phone messages showed that he had not only let properties for prostitution to take place but had encouraged the criminal conspiracy.

One of his messages to Angyal encouraged him to “get fresh 18-year-old from Hungry.”

Brought before the courts Angyal and Petrovic, both of Fortune Street, Burnden, eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to control prostitution for gain.

They also confessed to conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to their exploitation.

Maravia, of Romford Road, Preston, pleaded guilty to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

Emma Kehoe, defending Angyal, said he had been waiting two and a half years to learn his fate and that he “didn’t come to this country to be involved in this.”

She said that he hoped to return to his native Hungary after his sentence and said that he had turned to religion and started attending church in prison.

Rachel Oakdene, for Petrovic, said that “the ladies involved where always involved in prostitution to fund their lifestyles” before the pair had met them.

She said that the mother-of-five, who has no previous convictions, had found her first experience of custody after her arrest “difficult.”

Charlotte Phillips, for Maravia, said that he was in a “very different position” from his two co-defendants.

She said that the 45-year-old, whose last conviction was in 2003 for sex with a girl under-16, was “committed to being a hard-working individual.”

Judge Abigail Hudson accepted that each of them had earned credit for their guilty pleas but reminded the court of the “degrading” language and treatment the women had endured.

She said: “Clearly offences of this nature cause profound harm, particularly to the most vulnerable and desperate members of our society.”

She added: “You took a huge percentage of their earnings and created false debts to keep the ladies enslaved.”

Turning to the woman Angyal had beaten, Judge Hudson said: “I reject the suggestion that this was minor bruising, she was unable to sit down and unable to work for several weeks.”

Judge Hudson said that another of the victims was “so totally controlled by you that she was unable to plan any trips, even to the local shop, because a client could arrive at any moment.”

Clutching a red bound Bible in the dock Angyal appeared unsteady on his feet as Judge Hudson laid bare his criminal history stretching across Hungary, Germany and the Netherlands.

This included being jailed for three-and-a-half years in the Netherlands in 2013 for a human trafficking offence that involved using “violence and threats” to control his victim.

Judge Hudson reminded the mother-of-five Petrovic, stood behind Angyal, that “sadly the women you have exploited are somebody’s daughters.”

She jailed Angyal for seven years and seven months and Petrovic for six years and four months while hitting them both with a ten-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order.

Silent until that moment, Angyal appeared to softly say “thank you” as he was led down from the dock.

Turning to Maravia, Judge Hudson sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for two years,

She also ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days with 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay costs of £500.

After the three were sentenced Detective Sergeant Jamie Illingworth from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit paid tribute to his team and their partners.

He said: "This investigation involved a number of partner organisations including Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire Constabulary, West Midlands Police, TOEX, Bolton Social Services, Hope for Justice, and Black Country Women’s Aid, working together to ensure the victims were safeguarded and that the full scale of the crimes Angyal and Petrovics had committed could be proved.

"The dedication and tenacity of the investigative team ably supported by CPS Mr Richardson and barrister Ms Alnaes, meant in the face of the overwhelming weight of evidence Angyal and Petrovics had no option but to admit their actions in court.

"I'd like to recognise the bravery and co-operation of the victims in this case, who have been instrumental in securing this conviction here today.

“The NWROCU is committed to tackling exploitation of all kinds and today’s sentences are the culmination of the hard work and dedication of our officers and partners who continue to work proactively to put an end to modern slavery.”

[bugsybum]

With a previous record like that, why on earth does this country let people move to this country? 🤷🏻‍♂️

As proven, not as if they are going to start being model citizens

Do we have access to other countries Criminal records? If your not wanted by interpol or on a terror watch list i dont think there is any way of knowing people's criminal history.

[lewisjones23]

Do we have access to other countries Criminal records? If your not wanted by interpol or on a terror watch list i dont think there is any way of knowing people's criminal history.

No idea tbh

Farcical situation really, open door policy to people of questionable backgrounds

[KeenPunter]

Blah blah brexit blah blah

[RadioKid]

Hasn't Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and all them dogy North-West Towns had a history of this?

Whether its Romanians, Hungarians or Chinese - They've always been sketchy places through sketchy Vivastreet Ads.

Surely it can't require that many man-hours for Police to dedicate to monitoring this? It's absolutely rampant and countless lives have been destroyed.

[scutty brown]

Hasn't Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and all them dogy North-West Towns had a history of this?

Whether its Romanians, Hungarians or Chinese - They've always been sketchy places through sketchy Vivastreet Ads.

Surely it can't require that many man-hours for Police to dedicate to monitoring this? It's absolutely rampant and countless lives have been destroyed.

They've only got a history of it because the local police seem to be better at identifying and catching the bastards.
It exists in most sizeable towns, it's just that some police authorities give it a higher priority than others.

It's interesting in this case in that although the brothels appeared to be mainly in the northwest, there was also a Birmingham link. Echoes of another bust 5-6 years ago when another Hungarian group operating in the NW were actually based in the east midlands. I'm convinced the one simply replaced the other when the first lot got busted.

[Pennington]

Hasn't Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and all them dogy North-West Towns had a history of this?

Whether its Romanians, Hungarians or Chinese - They've always been sketchy places through sketchy Vivastreet Ads.

Surely it can't require that many man-hours for Police to dedicate to monitoring this? It's absolutely rampant and countless lives have been destroyed.

"All those dodgy North West towns'"

[Richthescouser]

Do we have access to other countries Criminal records? If your not wanted by interpol or on a terror watch list i dont think there is any way of knowing people's criminal history.

We had access to much more a number of years ago, including details of low level crime that could be used to prevent someone entering the UK based on said low level crime. We lost access to that data as part of Brexit.

[Doctormike]

That’s why as hot as the women are on vivasteet ads in Burnley I always ignore them

[bugsybum]

We had access to much more a number of years ago, including details of low level crime that could be used to prevent someone entering the UK based on said low level crime. We lost access to that data as part of Brexit.

Yep and we have that grifting twat Farage going on about dangerous illegals when he led the charge to leave the EU and thus limited our ability to monitor the wronguns entering the country. 

[KeenPunter]

Kinda off topic, politics, police etc thread now

[Heph]

Yep and we have that grifting twat Farage going on about dangerous illegals when he led the charge to leave the EU and thus limited our ability to monitor the wronguns entering the country. 

Utter cobblers

The details of the charges make it plain that these crooks entered the country prior to the EU referendum