Women from all over the world are selling their bodies for sex in Dundee.

An investigation by the Tele has uncovered evidence that dozens of young foreigners are working as prostitutes in local flats.

Some said they had travelled from as far afield as Costa Rica, Brazil and Mexico.

Others claimed to have come from eastern European nations, including Romania, Hungary and Russia.

One local charity said it’s feared that many of the women have been trafficked — but won’t speak out because they live in fear.

Those we spoke to in Dundee insisted they were here of their own free will.

One 25-year-old Costa Rican said: “I work on my own. I don’t have a boss.

“I’m just travelling around. I can’t tell you how much I earn.”

A 25-year-old Spaniard added: “What is the problem? This is what I want to do. I work for me and my family, no one else.”

The illicit trade is being brazenly conducted via Internet adverts carrying mobile phone numbers.

Most of the women advertised described themselves as being in their late teens or early twenties.

A large proportion claimed they were operating out of the city centre and Stobswell, although some also stated on their profiles they were based in Whitfield, Broughty Ferry and the Strathmartine area.

Police Scotland’s Tayside Intensive Support Service team is hoping to launch an operation targeting off-street prostitution later this year.

The aim of Operation Lingle is to discover if there are ring-leaders trafficking these women against their will.

According to Joseph Lumbasi, support worker with women’s abuse charity Izzy’s Promise, officers may struggle in their investigation.

He said: “Most will be young women being trafficked and exploited. However, they will not discuss anything for fear of reprisals from their boss.

“Some may be happy if they’re getting a large share of the money, but there will be some who get very small tokens.

“Their families will probably not know what they are involved in. They know they will have gone to look for work but, in most cases, they won’t know where the money is coming from.”