A Polish couple have been sentenced for human trafficking and sexual exploitation offences following an investigation which uncovered a web of brothels across the country.
Krzysztof Henryk Jakubiak, 50, of James Hall Street in Nantwich, and 37-year-old Marlena Soska, of Badger Avenue in Crewe, both appeared at Warrington Crown Court this afternoon (December 11) where the court heard how they were responsible for arranging the transportation of Polish women in and out of the UK, as well as moving them around various brothels under the control of the organised crime gang.
They used a website to advertise the services of prostitutes, with the enterprise believed to have been operating for at least two years – and could have had a potential gross turnover of over £1m.
Jakubiak – the figurehead of the gang – was sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years in prison after previously pleading guilty to 36 offences relating to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
He was also handed an indefinite control order – the first to be issued in the UK under new legislation regarding human trafficking. This will place considerable restrictions on him once he is released from prison.
Soska – who assisted him and was working as a prostitute herself – was given an 18 month community order having previously pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The charges related to 16 women.
Police first became aware of Jakubiak following intelligence from the local community and a tip-off in July 2013 by staff at Nantwich Library who were concerned that he was visiting the library on a regular basis and was acting suspiciously. They reported that he had been seen with a significant number of Polish identity cards and was also in possession of several mobile phones.
They reported those concerns and officers started to investigate Jakubiak – building up intelligence surrounding the organised crime gang, which uncovered a web of brothels across the country.
Detectives continued to build evidence in the case and on May 20 this year officers from Cheshire police executed a number of warrants across the UK as part of the investigation.
Jakubiak and Soska were arrested when raids were carried out at a total of seven properties in Nantwich, Crewe, London, Stoke, Preston and Bristol – where two addresses were searched.
Eight women who were found inside the properties were taken from the addresses and spoken to by specially trained officers before being offered advice and support via a number of different agencies.
The operation, led by Cheshire police, involved a number of different agencies and other police forces across the UK including The Met, Avon and Somerset Police, Staffordshire Police and Lancashire Police along with the National Crime Agency. More than 100 officers were involved in the strike phase.
The force worked closely alongside Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service in relation to this case.
Detective Inspector David Browne from Cheshire Police, who led on the operation, said: “The successful conclusion of this case today reinforces Cheshire’s commitment to tackling this type of crime and should reassure local communities that we are doing everything we can to put a stop to this sort of activity.
“Human trafficking and sexual exploitation stems from organised crime and targets some of the most vulnerable people in our society. People may be shocked to hear that this sort of thing has taken place in Cheshire but this case highlights the fact that human trafficking and sexual exploitation can happen anywhere - even in the most unexpected of places. No-one really knows what goes on behind closed doors.”
DI Browne added: “This type of crime is not something that we can deal with in isolation and it is important that we continue to work together with other forces across the UK – and further a field – to disrupt the networks behind this criminal behaviour and ensure that anyone suspected of being involved is dealt with.
“It is also important that anyone who is a victim - or is at risk of becoming a future victim – is identified and offered the necessary support and safeguarding.
“As this case has highlighted information from the local community is vital in tacking this type of crime – I would urge anyone who has any concerns or any information to speak to a local officer or call Cheshire Police on 101. If you do not feel comfortable contacting police directly then information can be passed on anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.”
Senior Crown prosecutor Rachael Barber, of Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Jakubiak operated a sophisticated business where he organised the transportation of women from Poland so that they could work in a series of brothels throughout the UK. His partner in crime, Soska, was also involved in the business.
“Following a thorough investigation by Cheshire police, their operation was uncovered and quickly closed down. The Crown Prosecution Service will support the Police in robustly prosecuting these cases where women are trafficked into the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation.”
STAFF at Nantwich Library helped snare Jakubiak after they kept copies of the ‘significant number’ of Polish ID cards he’d asked them to help him scan.
The ringleader of the organised crime gang attracted the attention of staff at the Beam Street library in July 2013, but told them he was ‘organising a safari trip’ when they questioned him.
Simon Parry, prosecuting in the case, said: “He frequently went there to use the copying facilities, often requiring assistance to perform those functions. He was seen with a significant number of Polish ID cards. Staff at the library noticed the significant number and on closer inspection they were cards pertaining to attractive, adult women.”
Jakubiak scanned the ID cards and then emailed them to his personal email account.
He was also seen by staff with eight, ‘old style’ mobile phones which were used to take bookings through the ‘Adult Works’ website, where the profiles of the Polish women could be found – all controlled by Jakubiak.
“The staff retained a copy of some of those ID card scans and handed them over to the police to assist with the investigation,” added Mr Parry.
During the sentencing hearing, the court also heard how the investigation into Jakubiak and Soska’s activities included covert operations.
Two undercover officers posed as punters to establish whether the girls were working as prostitutes. In 2014, one was also deployed to Jakubiak’s home in James Hall Street in Nantwich where Soska – known as ‘Busty Kate’ – offered up her services.
Soska then contacted Jakubiak – who had control of the prostitutes’ phones – so the officer could speak to him about future bookings.
In October 2014, camera footage captured numerous males visiting the property ‘at all times of the day’.
Following an analysis of Jakubiak and Soska’s bank accounts, officers discovered that between July 2013 and July 2014, Jakubiak had had more than £109,000 of cash deposits of ‘varying amounts’ made into his Barclays account. The same account was used to make more than 110 separate transaction with both Rynair and Wizz Air.
More than £46,000 had been transferred between his and his wife and daughter’s accounts, and cash totalling £17,000 was seized from the brothels.
This was at stark contrast to HMRC records which had Jakubiak’s income between 2005 and 2014 as being £24,000.
Soska’s bank account was also used to purchase flights, with £3,000 also spent on the adult website. She allowed Jakubiak to use her bank account and cards to pay for flights in order to traffic women.
JAKUBIAK thought he was ‘looking after’ the women he trafficked into the UK, his barrister claimed in court.
Damien Zelazowski said the case against his client was ‘not typical of the type of thing we think of when we talk of human trafficking’.
He told the court the women ‘wanted to come to this country to work as prostitutes’, and that Jakubiak ‘thought he was looking after the women’ and ‘treated them with respect’.
But Recorder Patrick Thompson said the defendant had been ‘blinded by the cash’, adding that he ‘was not looking after the women for free’.
It was a ‘very profitable business’ he said, adding: “I accept that many of the aggravating features that the courts see in people trafficking cases are not present in this case. I accept that the premises you obtained for these women were kept clean. You would provide them with clients and the opportunity to earn money.”
If the case had involved ‘anyone being coerced’, said the judge, the sentence would be ‘very long indeed’.
“You saw these women as willing adult participants...what you did not do is ask yourself why those women were willing to travel to a foreign country and work in that industry,” he added. “Had you done so, you would have found that many of these women were vulnerable women who were often involving themselves in this industry due to poverty of very difficult personal circumstances.
“You took advantage of them and took 50% of their earnings and did not really give a thought to why these women were travelling to work in the sex trade.”
Jakubiak was told he’d ‘pleaded guilty at the first opportunity’.
The judge added: “You have no relevant previous convictions and I note that you have behaved impeccably while in prison and have become a mentor and a listener in prison...if you were to return to this industry you’re likely to be facing a very lengthy custodial sentence.”
Referring to Soska, he said she’d ‘played an important part’ in the enterprise. He added: “You assisted Mr Jakubiak and you also received significant financial gain...it seems to me you had a far more limited role and were influenced by him and it seems that you had an emotional attachment to him that made you behave in this way.”
