A Romanian grooming gang, made up of four men and one woman, have been jailed for raping and sexually abusing 10 women in flats across Dundee, Scotland.
The group, led by a man described as a "winking, smirking pimp," targeted victims whose ages ranged between 16 and 30 between 2021 and 2022.
Leader Marian Cumpanasoiu, 38, and his accomplices Remus Stan, 35, Cristian Urlateanu, 41, Catalin Dobre, 45, and Alexandra Bugonea, 35, were previously convicted of 30 charges at the High Court in Glasgow.
Cumpanasoiu was sentenced to 24 years, Urlateanu to 20 years, Stan to 12 years, Dobre to 10 years and Bugonea to eight years.
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Cumpanasoiu was found guilty of 10 charges of rape and a charge under the Human Trafficking Act, by forcing a woman into prostitution, and two charges of brothel keeping.Urlateanu was convicted of six rapes.
Stan was found guilty of four rapes and Dobre found guilty of two rapes.
Alexandra Bugonea was convicted of one rape and illegal sexual activity with another.
Three of the gang members, Urlateanu, Dobre and Bugonea, had previously fled the country but were successfully traced and extradited back to Scotland from Belgium and the Czech Republic to face justice last December.
A Romanian grooming gang has been jailed for raping 10 women in Dundee
| POLICE SCOTLANDThe gang's activities were uncovered by Police Scotland during an operation focusing on the trafficking of women to Dundee from eastern Europe for prostitution.
However, the force soon discovered vulnerable local women were also being groomed with alcohol and drugs, including whisky and crack cocaine.
While carrying out their deeds, members of the gang worked in legitimate jobs as food delivery drivers.
The gang's victims were forced to have sex with gang members and to invite friends to the flats with the promise of drugs.
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The gang targeted vulnerable local women in Dundee as well as those trafficked from eastern Europe
|GETTY
The gang’s ringleader, Cumpanasoiu, was described as a "winking, smirking pimp" who behaved with a "predatory nature" towards women.
One victim of the gang described Cumpanasoiu as "absolutely relentless" while another said she was left "disgusted" by him.
He was said to have sold one victim a "pipe dream" of making "lots of money" from selling her body.
However, the ringleader was described as angry when she did not make enough, and a video found on his phone showed the woman in a tree.
“Because you do not make money, you stay all day in the tree,” Cumpanasoiu was heard to say.
He and Stan also raped the woman.
In his remarks, Judge Lord Scott told the gang they had exacerbated the vulnerability of the young women the gang had preyed upon.
"I commend the women for taking back the control of their lives to the extent they have been able to do that,” he added.
The Judge said it was likely the gang would be deported on completion of their sentences, but referred to that as a matter for the Home Office.
Three gang members fled the country before they were successfully traced and extradited back to Scotland to face justice
|GETTY
Alexandra Bugonea, a female member of the gang, was a prostitute in Dundee and admitted having "sex parties" at her flat.
Despite her description of a "fun atmosphere,” one victim described seeing Bugonea semi-naked and teaming up with her then-boyfriend Cristian Urlateanu to rape.
When questioned about this account, Bugonea responded: "I am a woman - why would I have a plan to rape her?"
The court also heard testimony of how Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre raped another woman.
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