Two jailed over human trafficking

The pair were arrested in December last year after police searched five addresses - two in Queensway, Bayswater, two in Chelsea and one in Earl's Court.

They also searched a safety deposit box held by Konart in Knightsbridge.

Konart and Kolesnikova, who were operating as part of a Russian and European based organised criminal network, recruited vulnerable young Eastern European women to come to the UK by promising them opportunities to make large amounts of money as waitresses, shop assistants or dancers.

Once in the UK they took the girls' ID and travel documents.

They then held the girls to a debt bond of up to £80,000, which they forced them to pay off by working as a prostitute from residential addresses in Chelsea, charging clients up to £200 a visit.

They were threatened with violence and plied with ecstasy and cocaine to gain compliance.

In her witness account, one of the victims stated the work she was being forced to do made her "skin crawl".

She said she felt "sick" because lots of the clients were "disgusting".

She "hated" her life and knew that it was very harmful for her health and having a big impact on her mental state.

Another victim stated: "I felt used and thrown away."

Detective inspector Kevin Hyland said: "Konart and Kolesnikova recruited vulnerable young women on the promise of well paid employment in the UK.

"On their arrival in London they were forced into prostitution in some of the capital's exclusive areas.

"Traffickers have no regard for the rights or wellbeing of those they exploit.

"Anyone who uses prostitution service needs to be aware that they are part of the exploitation and may be committing offences."