Grooming gang jailed of trafficking and raping ten women in Dundee

A Romanian grooming gang has been jailed for 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.

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.

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.

Mircea Campanasoiu was jailed for 20 years and will be under supervision for four years upon his release from prison
Christian Urlateanu has been jailed for 18 years with a two-year supervision period
Alexandra Bugonea was jailed for eight years
Remus Stan was jailed for 12 years
Cataline Dobre was jailed for ten years

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.

Inside the brothel on Bright Street, Dundee COPFS

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

Judge Lord Scott stated that a number of the group “deflected and minimised” their offending.

He said: “Over a 15-month period, each of you participated in the serious sexual abuse and exploitation of vulnerable and mostly young women in the Dundee area.

“There were various reasons for their vulnerability, including difficult family circumstances and use of drugs.

“By offering them an unending supply of mostly free crack cocaine you exacerbated their vulnerabilities and proceeded to exploit them for your own sexual gratification and in some cases for financial gain.”

‘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.

Four men and a woman were arrested and charged as part of Operation Recloir which was launched in 2021. COPFS

“We will continue targeting 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.

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

“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.”