Hong Kong police arrest 20 over prostitution syndicate that trapped women in debt

Hong Kong police have arrested 20 people in connection with a cross-border prostitution syndicate that allegedly recruited women from Southeast Asia and required them to provide unpaid sexual services to repay travel debts.

Police said on Tuesday that the syndicate paid for the women’s travel and accommodation but required them to provide sexual services 30 to 45 times without payment before they could earn money from prostitution. The women then had to hand over half their earnings.

“This method left the women completely under the group’s control when they first arrived in Hong Kong, while allowing the syndicate to make huge profits,” Senior Inspector Lam Wa-yan of the special duties squad said.

Police began investigating in June after noticing that several women arrested during prostitution raids held passports from Southeast Asian countries and had similar backgrounds, travel patterns and areas of activity.

Investigators later identified syndicate members who had lived in Hong Kong for years and allegedly used their networks and language skills to recruit women in Southeast Asia.

The syndicate rented three flats in Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan and divided them into cubicles used as brothels.

Police said the women were required to place all or half of their cash earnings in envelopes and leave them at designated locations for members to collect.

After learning that the syndicate planned to bring more women to Hong Kong on October 10, officers carried out surveillance and saw core members take them from the airport to the group’s brothels.

Police then raided premises in Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Sha Tin.

The 20 suspects – one man and 19 women aged 20 to 86 – included the alleged ringleader, core members and 16 sex workers.

Four held Hong Kong identity cards, two held recognisance forms and 14 held passports issued by Southeast Asian countries. Police said one suspect had a triad background.

Two alleged core members appeared in West Kowloon Court on Tuesday, charged with trafficking people into or out of Hong Kong and living off the earnings of prostitution.

Police said 16 other suspects would be charged with breaching their conditions of stay and would appear in court on Wednesday. The remaining two were to be released on bail pending further investigation.

Officers also seized about HK$100,000 (US$12,742) in cash, as well as phones, account books, condoms and lubricants.

Police froze more than HK$10 million in suspected crime proceeds and believe accounts linked to the syndicate were used to launder more than HK$10 million over several years.

The investigation is continuing and police have not ruled out further arrests.