The Marbella prostitution ring was smashed leading to the rescue of thirteen women that were forced to work as prostitutes in the Spanish resort near Marbella.
The sex victims are thought to have originated from Bulgaria to the Costa del Sol, where they were made to work on the streets of Puerto Banus.
The police authorities also managed to arrest 34 suspected gang members across Europe. In a statement, police said the Bulgarian gang had sought total control of the upmarket resort.
The women had been brought from poor areas of Bulgaria and forced to work as prostitutes. The gang members threatened them and their families with violence if they failed to co-operate.
The police revealed that the women were also made to steal from their clients, some of whom may have been drugged. The arrests come almost three years after police were made aware of the prostitution ring by a woman who escaped the gang's clutches.
The incident led the police to say that they had discovered an enormous international network that operated mainly in Spain and Bulgaria.
The Spanish police who co-operated with their Bulgarian counterparts and the European Union police agency Europol said most of the arrests were made in Spain, with eight in Bulgaria.
The Costa del Sol's biggest ever sex ring was captured after the arrest of a Bulgarian gang that sought total control of prostitution in Marbella, Spanish police said on Tuesday.
The officials have released images of the haul of valuables that the women were forced to steal from tourists while they were in their brothels, including Rolex watches and thousands in cash from varying currencies.
The investigation, which took three years, has seen numerous bank accounts blocked. Six properties have also been seized, together with 18 luxury cars.
