Police free nine tricked by 'reality TV'

Turkish military police have rescued nine women who were lured into a villa in Istanbul after being tricked into thinking they…

Turkish military police have rescued nine women who were lured into a villa in Istanbul after being tricked into thinking they were reality TV show contestants.

The women had been kept prisoner for two months, a police spokesman said.

Cameras in the villa filmed the women 24-hours a day, providing a live stream of images for Internet users who had paid to access the footage, the spokesman said.

The women, all from Turkey, according to the Turkish press, had answered an advert seeking contestants for a Big Brother-style television show. They passed an audition and selection process before entering the house.

"The women's parents called the police after they didn't hear anything from them. The military police went to investigate and heard the women screaming from inside," the spokesman said, adding the raid took place on Monday.

Police detained three men and prosecutors are investigating, he said.

According to Turkish media, the women had signed a contract agreeing they would have no contact with their families and would face a fine of 50,000 Turkish lira if they left early.

Reuters