A 22-year-old Romanian woman, residing in Malta, was placed in preventive custody yesterday after she pleaded not guilty to human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution.

Simona Ortansa Bostan was charged with trafficking people under the age of 21 for prostitution purposes and conspiring with other people to commit a crime in November and before.

Presiding magistrate Silvio Meli refused Ms Bostan bail and placed her in preventive custody after she pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her.

Police inspector Raymond Aquilina prosecuted and Dr Giannella Caruana Curran appeared for the woman.