A grooming gang from Dundee could be facing life behind bars after being convicted of sexually exploiting 10 vulnerable women.
Marian Mircea Cumpanasoiu, 37, Christian Urlateanu, 41, Alexandra Bugonea, 34, Remus Stan, 34, and Catalin Dobre, 44, were convicted following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Their victims included a woman who was trafficked into prostitution and then threatened because she was not earning enough.
Another was gang-raped by three of the predators.
The Romanian-born gang – based at flats in Dundee – left a number of those they preyed upon hooked on crack cocaine, leading them to be blackmailed into sex.
Ringleader Cumpanasoiu – known as Mario – was guilty of 15 charges, Urlateanu nine, and his then-partner Bugonea five.
Stan was convicted of eight charges and Dobre – known as Luigi – five.
The crimes took place in 2021 and 2022.
The gang will be sentenced next month.
Investigators have admitted there were chilling echoes of the rape gangs which plagued English towns and have hit the headlines again recently.
Jurors heard harrowing testimony about how the gang preyed on the women, most of whom were already troubled by personal issues.
Some had even considered members of the group to be their friends.
Victims would be plied with whisky and crack cocaine, as well as being made to take part in sleazy “sex games”.
There were said to be so many young women “passing through”, the gang struggled to remember who they all were.
Fury of ringleader
Cumpanasoiu was called a “winking, smirking pimp”.
He was described as behaving towards women in a “predatory nature”.
Among the charges of which both he and Stan were convicted was one under the Human Trafficking Act, by forcing a woman into prostitution.
Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie KC said such crime does not need to have a victim “cross international borders”.
The woman was said to have been sold a “pipe dream” of how she could make “lots of money” from selling her body.
But Cumpanasoiu was furious she was not earning enough and a video was found on his phone of her climbing a tree as he threatened: “Because you do not make money, you stay all day in the tree.”
He and Stan also raped the woman.
Cumpanasoiu was described by one victim as “absolutely relentless” and another was left feeling “disgusted” by him.
Cumpanasoiu claimed he only gave another of the young women crack cocaine to be “polite”.
The 15 charges of which Cumpanasoiu was guilty also included the rape of seven of the women, brothel-keeping and crack cocaine dealing.
Couple raped victim
Urlateanu also denied sexually exploiting any of the victims.
He insisted one of the young women could not have been raped as she was only in his flat for a matter of minutes.
But this victim – in her late teens at the time – said she was actually there for days, including taking part in sex games like “spin the bottle”.
She described seeing Urlateanu’s then-partner Bugonea semi-naked.
Bugonea was a prostitute who advertised online at the time and the couple teamed up to rape one of the victims.
Urlateanu told the trial: “I never, ever touched her.”
Urlateanu – who claimed to work as fast food delivery driver – further denied holding another victim “hostage”.
There was grim testimony of how Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre gang-raped one woman.
She was preyed upon having gone to a “party” at a flat in Dundee.
She recalled being given a substance which made her feel “rotten” before being attacked by the trio.
His KC Gillian Ross put to him: “How do you feel about these allegations being made?”
Urlateanu: “Very scared and very much afraid of all of this.”
He was convicted of nine charges including the rape of four women and illegal sexual activity with another.
In her evidence, Bugonea admitted having “sex parties” at her flat but described them as a “fun atmosphere”.
Quizzed about sexually assaulting the victims, she said: “I am a woman – why would I have a plan to rape her?”
She denied women only visited due to drug issues, claiming she believed they were “friends”.
She branded other evidence as “ridiculous”.
She was convicted of crimes including being part of the rape of one woman and illegal sexual activity with another.
Witnesses ‘taken advantage of’
Stan denied being known as “boss” and exploiting a woman for prostitution.
As well as human trafficking, he was convicted of raping three of the women, drug-dealing and living off immoral earnings.
Dobre was guilty of rape and abuse of four victims.
In her closing speech, prosecutor Miss Gillespie said it was clear the women had issues in their lives.
“Perfect people living perfect lives do not normally end up as witnesses at the high court.
“They were vulnerable women that the group took advantage of, women who became drawn deeper into addiction due to their association with them.”
Gang members went on run
After the verdicts, it emerged Urlateanu, Bugonea and Dobre had gone AWOL while awaiting trial.
The first two were eventually traced in Belgium before being extradited back to Scotland in 2024.
Dobre was found in the Czech Republic. He had initially challenged being hauled back to the UK.
Lord Scott deferred sentencing until next month but warned the gang the charges carried a life sentence.
“This was an appalling catalogue of rape, serial sexual abuse and exploitation of extremely vulnerable, mostly, young women.
“Be in no doubt, you will spend a considerable period of time in custody. I will be imposing significant sentences.”
One of the gang shouted “We are innocent” as they were led handcuffed to the cells.
Police welcome convictions
Detective Inspector Scott Carswell, who let The Courier into the background of the investigation, said afterwards: “Trafficking and exploitation is a blight on our communities and has no place in Scotland.
“We will continue target criminals who abuse, control and exploit people, working with partners nationally and internationally to bring offenders to justice, and to raise public awareness to help identify victims and ensure they get the support they need.
“Victims are often vulnerable, they may be trapped with limited freedom or options, and sometimes they may not realise that they are in fact victims.
“They seldom contact police directly and quite often come to our attention either through a support agency or when someone from a local community makes a phone call and raises a concern.
“That call can be the first step in freeing someone from slavery and exploitation.”
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