JAPANESE, RUSSIAN SEX WORKERS HELD IN POLICE SWOOP
Vice syndicate ran operation from five hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui, using women including from the mainland, one ofwhom tested positive for Covid
Four sex worlcers from Russia and Japan were among 17 women arrested in a police operation against a triad - controlled prostitution ring in the Tsim Sha Tsui entertainment district.
One of the suspects from mainland China detained in the raidon Monday night tested positive for Covid-19 and was sent to hospital for treatment. A source familiar with the case yesterday said the woman came to the city over the weekend and police would try to track down her clients.
The ring is believed to have operated across five hotels, some of which are five-star establishments, in the district.
Police began investigating the syndicate, suspected to be run by the Wo Shing Wo triad, last month, following the arrest of a JapaneseAV (adult video) actress inanotheroperation.The 27-yearold was intercepted in a Tsim Sha Tsuihotel on October 17.
SuperintendentAlan Chung of the Kowloon West regional crime unit said the vice racket had connectionsto bring women in from Europe, Japan and the mainland and arrange for them to stay and worlc in the hotels in question.
"The syndicate also used one ofthe hotel rooms astheir operations centre where its core members contacted clients," he said.
Chungsaid women whom the gang recruited from Emope and Japan entered the city with travel visas and were usually allowed to stay ror one to two weeks.
The racket then posted advertisements with the pictures of the women on Telegram, along with contact details.
Those from Japan and Russia charged each customer between HK$5,000 and HK$6,000 for sex services, while women from the mainland set prices ranging from HK$1,000 to HK$2,000.Thesyndicate took as much as 40 per cent of the proceeds.
The force deployed several undercover officers to gather evidence befOre arresting 17 women acrossfivehotelsinTsimShaTsui at about 8pm on Monday.
Two of the suspects were Russian women, aged 27 and 30, who were a rrested at the Kimberley Hotel. Two Japanese women aged 20 and 28, and 11 mainland women were also detained. Police arrested the 15 women on suspicion ofbreaching their condition ofstay.
Officers also discovered the syndicate's operational centre in oneofthe rooms at the Kimberley Hotel,whereaHongKongwoman and another from the mainland were arrested.
Chung said the two women, aged 27 and 40, were suspected to be core members ofthe prostitution ring. They were arrested on suspicion of controlling women for the pmpose ofprostitution - anoffence punishable byupto 14 years behind bars under the Crimes Ordinance.
Chung said officersalso seized HK$220,000 and mobile phones in the operation. "We believe the money is from crime proceeds andthe mobilephones were used by the syndicate to contact clients," he said.
Officers are also trying to track down two other core members who left the operations centre befOre the raid.
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The syndicate used one ofthe hotel rooms as their operations centre
SUPERINTENDENT ALAN CHUNG