Two of the women were detained in Vitoria, 750 kilometers (465 miles) northeast
of Sao Paulo, according to a federal police officer who would only identify
himself as Cabral.
Three other women had been arrested in Vitoria on Monday, police said.
The women allegedly were in charge of recruiting the prostitutes and making the
travel arrangements to send them to Portugal and other European countries,
police said.
"The prostitutes didn't have to pay for their trips, but then would have to
work for free for a certain period," police investigator Sandro Dezam told the
media.
Police seized a revolver, drugs, passports and about US$1,800 in cash with the
women, authorities said.
In December, federal police broke up a similar prostitution ring that sold
Brazilian women to clients in Europe and the United States, and last October
authorities arrested 10 people accused of sending transvestite prostitutes to
European cities.
