Ionela Filip, 34, is accused of conspiring to traffic young women into the UK, alongside her husband George Filip, and of conspiring to control prostitution for gain

A woman and her husband trafficked young women from Romania into the UK before directing them into prostitution, a court has heard. The couple are alleged to have made “tens and thousands of pounds” from the operation, which saw them employing 16 women as part of a prostitution ring.

Ionela Filip, 34, is accused of conspiring to traffic young women into the UK, alongside her husband George Filip, and of conspiring to control prostitution for gain. She is also accused of directing the women, setting up “provocative” advertisements and online accounts on websites, and of depositing thousands of pounds into her bank account.

A trial at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Ionela Filip played an “important and leading role” in the operation, which is alleged to have taken place between 2015 and 2022. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter.

Opening the case to the jury, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “You will hear, on the prosecution’s case, that (Ionela and George Filip) worked closely together to put young women, typically Romanian young women, to work as sex workers throughout the UK.”

The court heard some of the locations where these women were based included Cwmbran, Aberdeen and Wolverhampton, with the operation based at addresses in Newport.

Mr Cobbe continued: “They generated tens of thousands of pounds in the process.”

The jury was told Ionela Filip was involved in creating some of the online profiles used to advertise sex workers and she dealt with messages from customers of those sex workers.

It is also alleged she directed others involved in the conspiracy, including her brother Alexandru Moco and friend Leonard Banica, as well as using her bank accounts for payments of expenses and to receive large amounts of cash.

Mr Cobbe said it was not the prosecution’s case that any of the women trafficked to the UK were “under duress” to work in the sex industry.

The prosecutor added: “Nevertheless, the unlawful work undertaken was on a very significant scale and the examination of their bank accounts demonstrate (the defendant) and her co-conspirators were generating a huge amount of cash.

The court heard George Filip, Moco and Banica have pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic and control prostitution for gain.

In January 2025, arrest warrants were executed at properties in Bishpool View, Newport, and Conway Croft, Newport, and a number of arrests were carried out.

Ionela Filip was not arrested but she was detained in October upon arriving back in the UK.

She answered “no comment” to all questions, but provided a prepared statement in which she made a “flat out denial” of her involvement in the operation.

Mr Cobbe said: “The fact that others have entered acceptable pleas does not mean itself Ionela Filip is guilty but those pleas show this control of prostitution and trafficking was taking place.

“This case is squarely about where you can be sure Ionela Filip played her part.”

Filip, now of Friary Road, Birmingham, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, four counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of transferring criminal property, and one count of removing criminal property.

The trial continues.

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