A woman has been accused of running brothels involving more than 45 “vulnerable” sex workers in Dublin and Co. Louth.
Lenuta Andreea Cucoranu, 29, a Romanian woman with no fixed address but who has been living in Ireland for 11 years, was arrested last week.
It follows a “complex” operation by detectives from the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit in the Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
She was detained at Store Street station, where gardai charged her at the weekend.
Ms Cucoranu was then held pending her appearance and a contested bail hearing before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court on Monday.
Bail
Bail was granted in her bond of €500, but she cannot be released without a €25,000 independent surety.
Ms Cucoranu is accused of three counts of organised prostitution and three more for brothel keeping contrary the sections nine and 11 of the Sexual Offences Act 1993; four charges of using false instruments under the Theft & Fraud Act; and six money laundering allegations.
The offences are alleged to have taken place over the past three years.
Detective Michelle Woods told Judge Smyth that the defendant replied “no comment” to the charges, and she added that there were objections to bail.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Lambe told Judge Smyth that the accused had no physical or economic ties to this jurisdiction” and was a “serious flight risk”. He also voiced concerns she would attempt to interfere with witnesses if given bail.
The accused allegedly leased three properties for organised prostitution and operating brothels. Detective Sergeant
Lambe said the woman allegedly used false documents to secure leases from three landlords.
CCTV evidence
The court heard that the brothels ran simultaneously, there was CCTV evidence, and individual prostitutes had provided statements.
Detective Sergeant Lambe said that €12,500 was transferred over 10 weeks to the three landlords, but the accused had no legitimate source of income.
He described the investigation as “complex and protracted” and said a significant file would be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Further charges were envisaged.
He said the case also involved in excess of 45 witnesses he described as people working in the sex trade and landlords of multiple properties subject to this investigation.
Judge Smyth heard that the offences could carry maximum sentences ranging from five to 14 years on conviction.
Pleading for bail, defence solicitor Amy Dudley submitted that her client lived in Ireland since 2012, had relatives in the country, and she proposed to reside in Irishtown, Straffan, Co Kildare.
Bond
The solicitor said her client, who still had the presumption of innocence, would face a lengthy period in custody before trial if bail were refused, as the case was likely to go to a higher court.
Judge Smyth granted bail €500 bail in her bond but ordered that she needed a €25,000 independent surety and half that amount must lodged.
He ordered her to sign on daily at a garda station, surrender her passport and national ID and not to apply for duplicates, reside at an address to the satisfaction of gardai, and have no contact with witnesses from the wider investigation, including the sex workers and landlords she had been in contact with for three years.
The accused, who listened to the proceeding with the aid of an interpreter, did not address the court and has yet to indicate a plea.
Legal aid was granted to Ms Cucoranu, who was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear again on Friday.
