French authorities say several foreign nationals have appeared before a judge on charges of aggravated pimping and aiding individuals to remain in Martinique illegally.
A statement from the Public Prosecutor's Office in Martinique said those arrested are from St. Lucia, Haiti, the Dominica Republic and French nationals.
The authorities say they have been carrying out the probe into the pimping ring since March and that those arrested also face money laundering and violating drug laws. Five of the six people charged were in pretrial detention.
Allegations are that young women from Dominica and Haiti were being brought in to Martinique to exploit their prostitution and make substantial profits estimated at €680,000.