Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Sex syndicate found to have smuggled women from mainland China, used Hong Kong hotels as operations base: police sources

Sex syndicate found to have smuggled women from mainland China, used Hong Kong hotels as operations base: police sources

Thirty-eight suspects were arrested after police launched raids on two hotels, with ring believed to have earned HK$6 million (US$774,000) since April.

A prostitution syndicate has been smuggling women into Hong Kong despite travel restrictions in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic, plying their trade in two four-star hotels in the city, according to police sources.

The gang began its operations in April after noticing that mainland Chinese prostitutes could not come to the city through legal channels because of the closure of major border checkpoints and the 14-day quarantine measure, one source said.

“The syndicate then smuggled mainland sex workers into the city and arranged for them to work in dozens of rooms in two hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei,” he said. “Meals and daily necessities were delivered to their rooms so that the women did not need to leave the hotels in an effort to avoid police detection.”

To tout business, the gang left posts with contact numbers on the internet. Clients were told the women’s room numbers and charged HK$1,300 (US$168) each.

“Intelligence indicated that an average of more than 100 clients went to the hotels for sex services daily,” the source said.


Suspects being escorted by police.


To avoid detection, a source said, clients were not entertained after midnight.

“The gang members also operated a room in each hotel as their control centre. They regularly went to the lobby and outside the hotels to look out for surveillance from police or immigration officers,” he said.

According to the source, initial investigation showed the gang generated a revenue of HK$6 million over the past few months.

After an in-depth investigation, about 100 officers were deployed to raid the hotel rooms and some 20 other locations across the city on Thursday, leading to the arrests of 38 people and seizure of HK$790,000 in cash.

Chief Inspector Ian Yan Hon-yeung of Yau Tsim police district said on Friday that six suspects – three men and three women – were core figures of the syndicate, while another five men were also members of the gang. One of the core members was found carrying HK$200,000 at the time of the arrest.


Some of the evidence on display during the police press conference.


He said the remaining 27 women were suspected mainland prostitutes who were picked up in 27 rooms between the two hotels. They were illegal immigrants from the mainland.

“The syndicate was very cautious when selecting clients. They usually served regular clients in an effort to avoid police detection,” Yan said.

He added that officers had to carry out heavy surveillance to identity members of the syndicate and deploy undercover officers to collect evidence.

Investigations are under way and further arrests are possible.

In Hong Kong, control over persons for the purpose of unlawful sexual intercourse or prostitution carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail under the Crimes Ordinance, according to Yan.

As of Friday evening, all the suspects were being held for questioning and none had been charged.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×