WOMEN are being brought into Dorset from Eastern Europe and the Far East and being forced into prostitution, say police.

It follows a raid on a house in Charminster just after 8pm on Thursday in which a 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with brothel, drugs and money laundering offences.

Two women aged in their early 20s and believed to be of Thai origin were removed from the property in the raid, part of Operation Pentameter 2 - a national campaign to tackle human trafficking for exploitation in the sex trade.

DCI Steve Bartlett said information from the public was vital in the fight to halt sex trafficking. "Experience has shown us that brothels are operating within our communities and we are taking positive action to locate these and safely recover victims of this evil trade.

"These brothels generally operate in residential areas and local communities have been invaluable in providing information to help us disrupt these traffickers.

"I continue to appeal to the local communities to report any suspicious activity in their areas such as numbers of strange callers or continually drawn curtains.

"The problem of foreign girls and women being sexually exploited and forced into the sex trade is an increasing problem and we want to put an end to it.

"There is evidence to show that women are being brought into Dorset from Eastern Europe as well as the Far East and being forced into prostitution.

"We want to continue to do everything possible to release them from the grip of these criminals."

Victims of human trafficking are not just trafficked to work in the sex trade and can be men, women, adults or children and be from a variety of backgrounds added DCI Bartlett.

Anyone with information about human trafficking should call Dorset Police on 01202 22 22 22 or call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.