VICE RING SMASHED

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30154, 11 June 1963, Page 13

VICE RING SMASHED

White Slavery In Africa

(N Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright) PARIS, June 10

French police believe they have smashed a vice ring which shipped girls tn Africa with promises of highly-paid jobs and then forced them to become prostitutes. Three people have been arrested but the leader of the organisation is thoughto be still free The women were advanced about £2BO for their fares ’he British United Press said Coded cables describing shipments of dictionaries warned men in Abidjan Ivory Coast, that they were coming. There the women were told to become prostitutes to pay back the fare money or face possible prison sentences

"It is one of the bigges 1 rings I've heard of operating since the war.” said a police officer The search for the vice ring was started by Clement Garnero. a French Governmemt employee, whose 21-year-old daughter died tn an 'Abidjan night club last summer

Mr Garnero was told tits daughter had killed herself with an overdose of drug? 10 days after airriving in Abidjan Police said she committed suicide in a state of despair Mr Garnero traced the man who sent her. 39-year old Francois Martini wht was later arrested

One of the girls tried to kill herself when she was told to be a prostitute bu she eventually escaped and told the police