Police bust vice racket behind city's biggest porn website Sex 141
A vice racket that pocketed an estimated HK$60 million a year running the city's biggest porn website has been smashed by police following the arrest of 114 people in the past three days.
Officers seized three computer servers in Kwai Chung used to host the Sex 141 site, which featured advertisements for hundreds of prostitutes.
Police also closed down a production house, photo studio and publication company run by the syndicate in Sham Shui Po. The publication company released a monthly magazine advertising prostitute services.
Senior Superintendent Joseph Au Chin-chau of the New Territories South regional crime unit said the syndicate generated income from advertisements on the website and in the magazine.
"Each local sex worker was charged up to HK$1,500 a month for advertising their services on both platforms," Au said.
"Other gangs who arranged for mainland prostitutes to come to Hong Kong to work were charged between HK$5,100 and HK$18,200 each for 12 days of advertising of sex workers."
At the studio in Sham Shui Po, sex workers were offered a free make-up service and costumes such as school uniforms before having photographs taken and videos made, police said.
"The photographs and video clips were then sent to the production house before being uploaded to the site," Au said.
The syndicate used more than 100 bank accounts to launder illegal proceeds, according to police.
Since Tuesday, more than 250 officers have raided 38 locations, including several hotels, across the city and arrested 114 people aged 17 to 63. Officers also seized HK$3.2 million in cash.
