Hong Kong police arrest 51 people in crackdown on prostitution syndicate bringing in Thailand, mainland Chinese sex workers
- Three Hongkongers, eight Thai women and 40 mainland Chinese residents arrested after series of police raids over two weeks
- Force charges 19 with managing vice establishment, soliciting for immoral purpose or breaching conditions of stay
Hong Kong police have arrested 51 people in a crackdown on a prostitution syndicate that brought in sex workers from mainland China and Thailand to work in Yau Ma Tei.
The suspects arrested in a series of raids over the past two weeks comprised three Hong Kong locals, eight Thai women and 40 mainland Chinese residents who held two-way exit permits, Inspector Lai Tsz-yan of the Yau Tsim district special duties squad said on Monday. They were aged between 21 and 66.
The force charged 19 with managing a vice establishment, soliciting for an immoral purpose or breaching their conditions of stay.
Thirty suspects were handed over to immigration officers, while the remaining two were still in custody.
Police and the Immigration Department carried out the operation code-named “Cannonshot” from April 8 to 21, with a focus on Temple Street, after the force found instances of solicitation in the area.
Undercover officers were approached on the street with offers of sex by syndicate members who ran the brothels.
The investigation revealed the syndicate hired women from the mainland and Thailand who worked out of subdivided flats, while charging the sex workers a commission of up to 60 per cent for each service.
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“Members of the syndicate also provided the prostitutes with supplies, including condoms, lubricants and disposable towels,” Lai said.
A large quantity of condoms, mouthwash and lubricants were also confiscated at the suspected vice establishments.
“Police noticed that the syndicate usually choose tong lau buildings as their venues, as those old tenement buildings often had low security and the presence of front and back entrances that facilitated an easy escape,” Lai said.
She added the syndicate installed a large number of closed-circuit television cameras outside the premises.
“This allows them to keep an eye on the surrounding areas and better prevent law enforcement authorities from carrying out their operations,” she said.
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Lai reiterated that street prostitution activities, especially organised ones, had a negative impact on the quality of life of nearby residents and were a key target of police enforcement.
In Hong Kong, working as a prostitute is legal, but it is against the law to solicit clients, run a brothel of two or more people, live off the earnings of a sex worker or control a woman for vice purposes.
In addition, anyone who keeps or manages any premises as a vice establishment faces up to 10 years in jail.
