HEERLEN - World super middleweight boxing champion Gevorg K. (23) of Heerlen may be considered one of the ringleaders of an Eastern European gang involved in trafficking in women, hostage-taking and extortion.
K., with two friends, allegedly used several young women for prostitution in a number of Limburg sex clubs and in Germany. The trio is behind bars.
Gevorg K. was crowned world champion of the International Boxing Organization in Kerkrade in early June. Shortly thereafter, the justice department in Maastricht began an extensive investigation into the commerce and conduct of the Armenian-born boxer. In the middle of the street he was trapped and overpowered by an arrest team.
Exploitation
The case came to light following a report of exploitation by a Ukrainian woman. K. and his companions, according to sources around the investigation, made young women from the Eastern Bloc work for them in the clubs Ying Yang in Roermond and Red Lady in the German town of Herzogenrath.
In addition to trafficking in women, the prosecution also suspects Gevorg K. and his two friends of taking hostages, extorting and assaulting a resident of Heerlen. This man, after visiting a sex club, fell in love with one of the Ukrainian prostitutes and began a relationship with her. For the gang of top boxer K., this would have been a reason to extort the Limburger.
'That girl is for sale to you alone,' they reportedly told the terrified man, according to insiders. The suspects pressured the man for weeks to pay 5,000 euros. When he refused, they took him hostage and roughed him up.
K. was considered one of the draws during the Ben Bril Memorial, in October in Amsterdam. However, the chances that he will step into the boxing ring here seem very slim. His main sponsor has severed all ties with the boxer. K.'s counselor Serge Weening: "Gevorg only needed to box one more match and then he would really hit the ground running financially. There is now a good chance that he is even going to lose his world title," said the Maastricht criminal lawyer.
