Costela Soare

A couple from Smethwick, Sandwell, were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court following a three-year investigation by West Midlands Police into a sophisticated human trafficking and modern slavery ring involving the sexual exploitation of women.

The investigation began after intelligence revealed women being advertised online for prostitution. Officers from the Major Crime Team executed a warrant in March 2023, leading to the arrest of Luigi Cucu, aged 46, and Costela Soare, aged 37, both of Smethwick. The probe uncovered that 14 women had been victims of their crimes between January 2018 and March 2023.

One victim was trafficked into the UK in 2015 and subjected to severe abuse, including physical and verbal mistreatment, introduction to drug abuse that resulted in substantial debts, financial control, and forced labour of up to 20 hours a day in prostitution. She was coercively controlled, denied medical help, and in one instance, left so malnourished that her bones protruded visibly from her skin due to lack of funds for food. The operation involved transporting victims to various locations across the country, with the couple estimated to have profited at least £734,400 from the sexual exploitation of the women to clients nationwide.

Soare was charged with controlling prostitution for gain. She pleaded guilty and, appearing alongside Cucu at court on 21 November 2025, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. Her partner, Cucu, faced additional charges and received a longer sentence of nine years and seven months.

Detective Constable Mahadi Hasan, who led the investigation, stated: “We’ve worked hard to bring these charges against both Cucu and Soare. It’s been a very in-depth and thorough investigation over the course of three years to comb through evidence to piece together the couple’s crimes and the abuse their victims went through.” The case highlights the hidden nature of modern slavery offences, with West Midlands Police emphasising their commitment to safeguarding victims and pursuing perpetrators.