A 35-year-old Luxembourger has been sentenced to prison after transforming a large apartment in Audun-le-Tiche, France, into a meeting place for his Brazilian “girlfriends,” who were involved in prostitution.

The apartment, located just a stone’s throw from the Luxembourg border on Avenue Foch, was rented by the man for €4,500 a month. According to Républicain Lorrain, he sublet eight rooms in the apartment to his Brazilian associates for about €350 a week – paid in cash. Police discovered the nature of the meetings during a raid on 3 November, concluding that they were linked to prostitution.

The investigation was triggered by a taxi driver who reported being scammed by a passenger who left his car without paying. The driver informed police that he frequently dropped men off at the apartment.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they were greeted by a woman who didn’t speak French. The man, who was later identified as the Luxembourger, quickly confessed. “Before, I was a client; then I became a friend. They asked me to help them,” he admitted. Described as tall, bearded, and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the man had no prior criminal record and appeared in court in Thionville on 5 November, charged with pimping.

"I had already tried in Luxembourg, but it was too complicated"

The Luxembourger explained that he had rented the apartment in the border town since April, noting that he had previously attempted similar arrangements in Luxembourg but found it too complicated. To secure the lease, he had even forged salary slips, according to Républicain Lorrain. The women involved in the operation had reached out to him via WhatsApp, likely through word of mouth.

In court, the defendant admitted his actions but claimed he didn’t profit from the arrangement. “I invested in it,” he said, defending his role as “helping” rather than benefiting financially. His defense team argued that it was a case of “mutual aid” or “temporary assistance.” However, the court ruled that the case involved human trafficking – an illegal activity under French law.

The Luxembourger was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year of the sentence suspended on probation. He was immediately taken into custody to begin serving the fixed portion of his sentence. In addition, he was banned from French territory for the next 10 years.

The man has ten days to appeal the decision.