Police have made arrests in Peterborough as part of a series of raids in connection with the trafficking of over 100 females.

The newly formed Metropolitan Police Service Trafficking and Kidnap Unit arrested six people following a series of dawn raids across London as well as Peterborough.

A police spokesman said: “While we await specific details of each arrest, they are for trafficking for sexual exploitation, controlling prostitution and money laundering.”

Officers executed seven warrants in relation to an ongoing investigation into a Hungarian organised crime group involved in the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. The unit also visited over 15 brothels and rescued 10 victims at this stage.

The group are believed to have been involved in the trafficking of over 100 females.

The Met instigated an investigation after information was received from the Hungarian Police - this has resulted in a joint investigation between them and the Trafficking and Kidnap Unit.

During this investigation one of the alleged victims escaped from her traffickers and contacted police. The organised crime group had been advertising sexual services online, including offering more high risk services including ‘unprotected sex’. The crime group are suspected of operating in other countries including Belgium, Austria and Germany.

The new unit was formed in May 2014 to bring together the Human Trafficking and Kidnap units, doubling the size of the Met’s response to this growing crime area. The unit now has over 60 officers dedicated to trafficking and kidnap investigations and is the largest dedicated unit in the UK.