Robbers bound two women with tape and threatened another with a knife in a series of crimes targeting foreign sex workers and masseuses.

Bogdan Cercel, 31, and Vasile Touth, 35, both formerly of Larkway Close, Edgware, were sentenced on Monday (January 30) for the robberies.

An investigation into the two men began in June 2021 when it was uncovered that they had booked services with women working as masseuses or offering sexual services in Leicester.

One of the two defendants would attend the appointment and, as they were leaving, allow other people, who had been hiding outside, into the address to assist in stealing from the women.

Cash and jewellery were among the items stolen. Two women were bound with tape during the robberies, and another was threatened with a knife.

Through data obtained from the suspects’ mobile phones, police were able to trace four further women who reported being robbed by the men in the same circumstances in Reading and Hove.

Cercel was found guilty at a trial in January, and Touth pleaded guilty to the crimes last year.

At Leicester Crown Court, Cercel was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Touth to 12 years.

Detective Inspector Jenny Tattersall, who oversaw the investigation, said she was concerned that there are many more victims who did not report crimes to the police.

She said: “All of the victims in these cases are foreign nationals and it is believed that the defendants targeted them suspecting they would be less likely to report the matter to the police. These women can often be vulnerable, with some we believe having being trafficked into the UK.

“Thankfully these women, who went through a distressing ordeal, did contact police and we were able to support them through this investigation. I do believe that there are other women who may have been subjected to similar offences by these same offenders.

“During our searches at their address, we discovered close to 40 mobile phones, phones which they stated did not belong to them but we could not trace back to their original owner. These could well be phones stolen from other women.”

Cercel and Touth were convicted of two counts of robbery from April 4, 2021 in Reading, two counts of robbery from May 11, 2021 in Hove and two counts of robbery from June 5, 2021 in Leicester.

They were also convicted of assault with the intention to rob from April 13, 2021 in Leicester.