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The women were rescued from city centre apartments
Police have said a number of "potential victims of human trafficking" have been rescued in raids on suspected brothels in Belfast.
The raids were part of a UK-wide operation called Operation Apsis.
Police said its objective was "to recover victims, both UK and foreign nationals" who have been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Some suspects arrested outside Northern Ireland have been brought over for questioning by the PSNI.
In all 15 properties were searched across the UK by a number of police forces and three people detained.
Detective Chief Superintendent McComb, head of the PSNI Organised Crime Branch, said: "Human trafficking and prostitution is no longer gender specific.
"Men and women are being tricked or forced into prostitution in major towns and cities.
"They are being robbed of their liberty, stripped of their dignity, and suffer intolerable conditions as unwilling emblems of the sex trade.
"This is modern day slavery where human beings are treated like commodities by sophisticated organised crime gangs who are making substantial criminal profits from the sex trade."
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The women were rescued from city centre apartments Police have said a number of "potential victims of human trafficking" have been rescued in raids on suspected brothels in Belfast.
The raids were part of a UK-wide operation called Operation Apsis.
Police said its objective was "to recover victims, both UK and foreign nationals" who have been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Some suspects arrested outside Northern Ireland have been brought over for questioning by the PSNI.
In all 15 properties were searched across the UK by a number of police forces and three people detained.
Detective Chief Superintendent McComb, head of the PSNI Organised Crime Branch, said: "Human trafficking and prostitution is no longer gender specific.
"Men and women are being tricked or forced into prostitution in major towns and cities.
"They are being robbed of their liberty, stripped of their dignity, and suffer intolerable conditions as unwilling emblems of the sex trade.
"This is modern day slavery where human beings are treated like commodities by sophisticated organised crime gangs who are making substantial criminal profits from the sex trade."
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.