A poultry processor was allegedly involved in the control of a vulnerable young woman who had been trafficked from Romania to Northern Ireland for sex work, the High Court heard.
The prosecution also alleged that Florin Ripan had accumulated unexplained amounts of money totalling over £100,000 in bank accounts as part of the alleged vice-trafficking operation.
The 52-year-old’s bid for release from custody was put on hold after it was revealed he had lost his job at a factory in Ballymena, Co Antrim.
However, co-defendant Ionut Duta (27) was granted bail, but under a strict ban on communicating with witnesses in the case.
The two men, both resident in Ballymena, are among four Romanian nationals accused of controlling prostitution for profit and acquiring, using and concealing criminal property.
Detectives from the PSNI Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Team launched an investigation earlier this year after coming into contact with a vulnerable 22-year-old Romanian woman.
“The police believe that in June 2023 she was a victim of human trafficking by an organized criminal gang and was forced to work in the sex industry,” the prosecutor said.
The court heard she travelled to Dublin before being taken to an address in Omagh, Co Tyrone, linked to another defendant.
The woman, who was isolated and had only limited English skills, was said to have only known acquaintances who were suspected members of the organized gang.
It is believed to have been used at sites in Omagh and Ballymena.
According to the indictment, an adult website was set up that offered sexual services for cash.
The investigation also includes bank accounts opened in the name of the victim or an accused.
Despite Ripan’s income from work as a poultry farmer, it was claimed that the amount of his credit could not be determined.
“The police officer told me there was a £108,000 difference between his legitimate income and his turnover,” the lawyer said.
Judge Scoffield was told that all of the defendants could be identified through telecommunications data as being involved in transporting the victim to one of the sex work addresses.
She is currently in a safe, unknown location.
Prosecutors rejected a request for bail and confirmed that police are still actively pursuing other suspects.
Ripan, of Hill Street, Ballymena, was arrested at his workplace and denies the allegations against him.
During questioning, he told police that he had previously done the woman an unpaid favor by giving her a ride and insisted that all transactions between them were to repay loans.
Defence lawyer Peter Coiley told the court that Ripan had been living in Northern Ireland for seven years and had initially indicated that his client’s position was still vacant.
However, after further checks, the court was informed that the decision to terminate his employment had been made.
“This was a shock for Mr Ripan,” the lawyer added.
The judge adjourned his bail application, saying it would allow more time to gain “clarity on his employment prospects.”
However, he decided today that Duta, of Chichester Park East in Ballymena, should be released from custody.
The judge said: “The amount of money that flowed through his account was not particularly large.
“More importantly, he knows he is under close police surveillance, which reduces the risk of reoffending.”
