Police have arrested 2,713 prostitutes, in a crackdown against that started 15 months ago, in an attempt to curb a growing phenomenon in the United Arab Emirates.

Ali Al-Suwaidi, head of Vice Unit in Dubai police, said the largest raids targeted the densely populated areas of Al-Rifaa, Naif, Muraqabat and Riqqa, which are notorious for the large numbers working in the sex trade. During a recent operation police also arrested 107 men who were exploiting women and a 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl who had been forced into prostitution was discovered.

The battle against human trafficking of immigrants is one of the main aims of the police. Al-Suwaidi explained that “They take the women’s passports the minute they arrive in the country and refuse to give them back unless they pay 20,000 to 30,000 dirham [5 dirham is the equivalent of little more than 1 euro, ed]”.