67 arrested in crackdown on triad-controlled prostitution ring in Hong Kong
Syndicate operated membership clubs and bars that brought in sex workers from Thailand, Taiwan and mainland China, police say
Hong Kong police have arrested 67 people after an undercover operation found a triad group running membership clubs and bars that brought in sex workers from Thailand, Taiwan and mainland China.
A source said on Saturday that the operation was the third recent effort targeting triad group Sun Yee On, including senior-ranking gangster “Little B”. He was allegedly also involved in laundering nearly HK$40 billion by a syndicate that the force smashed last month.
In the July operation, police arrested 82 people and seized assets worth over HK$15 million (US$1.9 million), including a giant Labubu doll estimated to cost HK$1 million.
Superintendent Chau Ka-man said on Saturday that the force sent an undercover officer in March to infiltrate the triad group to collect intelligence and evidence, and found that the syndicate operated members’ clubs and bars to sell sex worker services to customers.
The syndicate charged an “extortionate” commission, with each transaction ranging between HK$5,000 and HK$10,000, and the workers receiving about 40 per cent or less, Chau said.
“The sex workers were primarily recruited from Thailand, Taiwan and the mainland, with the syndicate providing food and accommodation during their stay as well as drivers between their residence and different entertainment venues for their clients,” he said.