Grooming gang convicted of human trafficking and rape in Dundee

A Romanian grooming gang has been convicted of trafficking and raping ten vulnerable women in Dundee.

Marian Cumpanasoiu, 37, Remus Stan, 34, Catalan Dobre, 44, Cristian Urlateanu, 41, and Alexandra Bugonea, 34, were found guilty following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

Their victims included a woman who was trafficked into prostitution and forced to have sex with men.

A number of the women became addicted to crack cocaine and were blackmailed into sex.

Ringleader Cumpanasoiu, known as Mario, was convicted of 15 charges including raping seven women.

@stvnews A Romanian grooming gang has been convicted of trafficking and raping ten vulnerable women in Dundee. #stvnews #news ♬ original sound – STV News

One victim was gang-raped by Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre.

Urlateanu was convicted of nine charges including the rape of four women.

Bugonea was Cumpanasoiu’s partner and worked as a prostitute. She denied the victims visited the flat in Dundee due to their drug issues and claimed she thought they were her friends.

“I cannot believe that they would put me in this position,” she said.

She was convicted of being part of the rape of one woman and illegal sexual activity with another.

Stan was convicted of the rape of three of the women and drug dealing.

Dobre was guilty of the rape and abuse of four victims.

Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie KC said: “Perfect people living perfect lives do not normally end up as witnesses at the high court.

“They were vulnerable women that the group took advantage of.

“Women who became drawn deeper into addiction due to their association with them.”

Urlateanu, Bugonea and Dobre went on the run while awaiting trial.

The first two were eventually traced in Belgium before being extradited back to Scotland in 2024.

Dobre was found in the Czech Republic. He had initially challenged being brought back to the UK.

Lord Scott deferred sentencing until next month. He warned the gang charges they had been convicted of carried a life sentence.

“This was an appalling catalogue of rape, serial sexual abuse and exploitation of extremely vulnerable, mostly, young women,” the judge said.

“Be in no doubt, you will spend a considerable period of time in custody. I will be imposing significant sentences.”

‘Coercion, grooming and drug addiction’

Detective inspector Scott Carswell. STV News

The group were arrested and charged as part of Operation Recloir, which was launched in 2021 to target a gang of suspected human traffickers in the Tayside area.

Detectives and officers worked with victims to provide them with access to agencies for support with long-term safeguarding work still ongoing.

Detective inspector Scott Carswell said: “I’d like to thank our numerous partners for their assistance with our enquiries and their valuable support for all the victims identified throughout the investigation.

“Trafficking and exploitation is a blight on our communities and has no place in Scotland.

“We will continue target criminals who abuse, control and exploit people, working with partners nationally and internationally to bring offenders to justice, and to raise public awareness to help identify victims and ensure they get the support they need.

“Victims are often vulnerable, they may be trapped with limited freedom or options, and sometimes they may not realise that they are in fact victims.

“They seldom contact police directly and quite often come to our attention either through a support agency or when someone from a local community makes a phone call and raises a concern. That call can be the first step in freeing someone from slavery and exploitation.

“If you have concerns that someone is a potential victim, or any information, please report this to police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, so we can investigate and take action.”