Copenhagen police arrested six men from Romania earlier this week on suspicion they had been trafficking women and forcing them into prostitution in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district.

Six other men that live outside of the country were also charged. Attempts will be made to extradite them to stand trial in Denmark. Police also removed five women they found living with the traffickers. The women will be offered assistance through the Center mod Menneskehandel, a support centre for victims of human trafficking.

“These arrests are a result of a lengthy investigation,” said Jørgen Skov, of the Copenhagen Police Department. “We are serious about stopping the human trafficking that shamefully exploits these women.”

The arrest of the traffickers came just a few days after police arrested 18 foreign prostitutes in Vesterbro. The women were charged with working in Denmark without permission or documentation.

Vesterbro residents told police that the problem of prostitution in the area has been getting worse, with prostitutes becoming so aggressive that they reportedly approach men walking with their wives and children. Sex for hire assignations are often completed in area courtyards, stairwells and nightclubs, creating an unpleasant situation for area residents and shopkeepers.

The women were arrested and charged by police, both in an effort to curtail their activities and to see if they were victims of traffickers. They were all offered the opportunity to meet with someone from the Center mod Menneskehandel.

Depending on their status, the arrested women could be subject to criminal prosecution and deportation.