Gang sentenced for trafficking women into the UK

[delphyne]

http:// cms.met.police.uk/news/convictions/gang_sentenced_for_trafficking_women_into_the_uk

"Six Malaysian and Vietnamese men were sentenced today to a total of over 17 years in prison for trafficking women from Malaysia into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation and controlling prostitution for gain.

Thanh Hue Thi pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and conspiracy to traffic women for the purposes of prostitution in to the UK. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment for trafficking and two and a half years imprisonment for controlling prostitution. Sentences to run concurrently

Kenny Low pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and conspiracy to traffic women for the purposes of prostitution into the UK. He was sentenced to three and half years imprisonment for trafficking and two years for controlling prostitution. Sentences to run concurrently.

Kwok Leong Hoh pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and was sentenced to fifteen months imprisonment.

Choon Fong Loh pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and was sentenced to fifteen months imprisonment.

Leng Wah Loh pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and was sentenced to fifteen months imprisonment.

Godfrey Wong pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain and was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment.

The Clubs & Vice Unit carried out raids on two separate addresses which were being used as brothels, one, in a high class district of Bayswater and the other in Birmingham where they arrested seven people and rescued 21 women.

The raids were the culmination of a five month long intelligence led operation under the umbrella of Operation Pentameter.

Officers believe the prostitution racket had been operating since mid 2004 and during that time hundreds of women had been trafficked from Malaysia. The women would come over to the UK where they would be picked up by a gang member at the airport who would seize their passport and return plane ticket and then take them to one of the brothels under their control.

They would then be forced to work off their debt bondage to pay for the plane ticket and other expenses incurred to get them to and keep them in the UK. Consequently there was a high turnover of women at the addresses with many returning to Malaysia after about two or three months.

None of the women were allowed to set foot outside the brothel unless they were escorted by one of the gang. They were expected to work twelve hour days beginning at 6pm and ending at 6am. Many of the women believed they were coming to the UK to do legitimate work in the hotel and service industry and one of the women was duped into believing she was coming to London on a site seeing trip.

Officers recovered more than £115,000 in cash from addresses and safety deposit boxes but estimates suggest that the gang was making in the region of £2 million a year (that's a lot of punters).

The gang had lavish lifestyles including the use of a house in St Johns Wood with a swimming pool. Searches recovered betting receipts totalling £13,000, single bets of £1000 each with the total betting account running into some £36,000.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Dyson said,

"The women that we were able to rescue were only the tip of the iceberg. This criminal gang trafficked hundreds of women into the UK many of whom will have believed they were going to work in legitimate professions but found themselves forced and coerced into working in brothels. Rather than leaving the UK with the money they had hoped to earn they have returned home abused and mentally scarred."

Eight other men who were also arrested in connection with this operation have been released with no further action being taken."

[delphyne]

Where are the sentences for rape and being an accessory to rape here? Time for a letter to the Home Office.