LONDON: WOMEN'S SEXUAL SERVICES BUSINESS EXPLOITATION LEADS TO JAIL SENTENCES FOR CLAUDIA ANCA, VASILE ANCA, AND MIHAITA STRAT
A woman involved in operating a sexual services business has been sentenced to prison alongside her brother and an associate after authorities uncovered their exploitation of vulnerable women for financial gain.Claudia Anca, aged 27 (born 31 May 1994), and Vasile Anca, aged 24 (born 8 January 1997), both residents of Garfield Road, Chingford, as well as Mihaita Strat, aged 51 (born 14 November 1970) of Henley Road, Redbridge, received their sentences at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 November.
This followed a detailed investigation conducted by the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team.
The Anca siblings were each sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, while Strat received a two-year sentence.
All three defendants initially denied their involvement, leading to a four-week trial beginning on Monday, 8 November.
However, given the substantial evidence against them, they pleaded guilty on Tuesday, 9 November, to controlling prostitution.
The Anca siblings also admitted to supplying Class A drugs.
The charges of trafficking were left on file.
The court heard that the defendants managed a sex work operation openly advertised via a website.
The business arranged transportation for sex workers to and from customers' locations, which were typically hotels or private residences.
Customers would contact the advertised phone number, after which a woman was driven to their preferred venue.
Claudia Anca managed the enterprise, handling calls and directing the sex workers.
Her brother Vasile played a prominent role, assisting in managing the business and often providing transport for the women.
The siblings also supplied cocaine upon customer requests.
Mihaita Strat contributed by helping manage the website, giving directions to the sex workers, and acting as a driver on occasion, transporting women to appointments and back.
The court revealed that the operation was running at least since March 2019, when a company named ‘Ace Concept’ was established with the siblings listed as directors.
The company appeared to have no legitimate purpose and was likely set up solely to facilitate the criminal activities.
Authorities linked Ace Concept to various online advertisements on classified websites, with Claudia’s phone number appearing on those listings to arrange sexual services.
Additionally, the siblings’ cardholder details were associated with these adverts.
Between July 2019 and January 2021, the siblings made 73 payments totaling £23,162.99, and Strat contributed financially by paying for some adverts in August 2020.
During the investigation, detectives confirmed at least six hotel visits via CCTV, mobile tracking, and ANPR data.
On two occasions, undercover officers posed as customers.
On 10 December 2020, an undercover officer contacted Claudia to discuss prices for sex and drugs.
The officer met a woman at a hotel in Barking, later receiving cocaine from Vasile.
The drugs were analyzed and confirmed to be cocaine, with Vasile’s fingerprint detected on packaging.
Following enough evidence against them, police executed a sting operation on 13 January 2021 to arrest the trio.
The undercovers arranged for two sex workers and cocaine to be delivered to a hotel in Barking.
At around 22:40 hours, Claudia called saying the women were outside the hotel, and the officer met them.
Strat recognized the officer’s order as an escort, greeted the women, and was subsequently arrested by officers.
In Strat’s car, police found £890 cash, a Satnav loaded with the siblings’ address, and a small zip-lock bag with traces of cocaine.
Further searches of the women’s bags revealed unused condoms and three black wraps of powder testing positive for cocaine.
At approximately 23:40 hours, officers arrested the siblings at their home.
They seized cash, cocaine, mobile phones, and a pink notebook containing handwritten financial records of the business.
During a police interview, Strat quietly remarked to an officer, “that is the boss, she is the boss,” indicating Claudia’s leadership.
Analysis of Claudia’s mobile phones uncovered messages between her, customers, sex workers, her brother, and Strat.
Typical messages detailed meeting prices, locations, and client contact info, alongside discussions of services.
Notably, one message showed her exercising control over the women’s appearance, instructing them to dress elegantly with makeup and styled hair, and to be photographed before meetings.
She warned that failure to comply with her rules could result in the women being sent home or excluded from the business.
WhatsApp messages also included photos of women in underwear used in online advertisements.
All three defendants gave “no comment” interviews and were charged on 15 January 2021.
Detective Inspector Nigel Penney of the Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team praised the investigation, stating: “This was an excellent investigation by my team, which resulted in the defendants changing their pleas to guilty due to overwhelming evidence.
This criminal enterprise was run and controlled by Claudia Anca, who, along with her brother Vasile and Strat, had absolutely no regard for the welfare or safety of the women they exploited for their own greed.” He emphasized the Met’s commitment: “The Met is committed to keeping London a safe place for everyone and will continue to work behind the scenes to robustly target and bring to justice people like the Anca siblings and Strat who treat people as nothing more than objects to make money.
We remain dedicated to protecting women and girls, and I encourage anyone who has suffered from these offences to contact police, where they will be treated sensitively and any allegations thoroughly investigated.”
