We recently came across this disturbing news article about “barcode tattoos” used to show ownership of women in a prostitution ring in Madrid, Spain led by a few Romanian men.
The bar code served as a form of identity for the woman and as certificate of “ownership” by one prostitution ring, and beneath the bar code was also tattooed the amount of money she owed the ring, police said…
…In all, police disbanded two prostitution rings along Madrid’s Montera Street that were operated by two Romanian nationals — an uncle and his nephew — and authorities arrested a total of 22 people, including the two relatives, in Madrid and Getafe, police said.