A man is appearing in court today as a month-long operation targeting human trafficking and modern slavery in Essex continues.

A 24-year-old man was arrested after police were called to Wycke Hill, Maldon, on October 7.

Gheorge Negreanu has been charged with intentionally facilitating the travel of a person with view to their sexual exploitation, managing a brothel used for prostitution and controlling prostitution for gain.

He is appearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court this morning.

The operation running through October forms part of a nationwide crackdown on crime linked to trafficking including prostitution, forced labour, abuse and exploitation.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Hooper said: “Essex has a number of ports of entry into the country. As well as Tilbury we also have Harwich Port, Stansted Airport, Southend Airport, and London Gateway which all provide means of entry into Essex and the UK which could be exploited by traffickers.

“Modern slavery goes beyond just the trafficking of people, it is also about their exploitation. Prostitution, forced labour, servitude and even the removal of vital organs for sale on the black-market are all forms of abuse that make up modern slavery.”