Hong Kong police arrest 6 in prostitution ring that ran 25,000-member chat group

Hong Kong police have arrested six people in a crackdown on a prostitution syndicate that raked in HK$13 million (US$1.7 million) through an online chat group with more than 25,000 members to promote sexual services.

The force said on Thursday the suspects, including two alleged ringleaders, were rounded up in a series of raids the previous day, adding that officers also froze bank accounts containing HK$2 million in suspected crime proceeds.

Intelligence revealed that the ring recruited clients into the chat group to browse information on sex workers offering to be “part-time girlfriends”, according to Chief Inspector Sun Yi-ki of the cybersecurity and technology crime bureau.

Sun said customers arranged transactions with prostitutes themselves.

“The chat group currently has more than 25,000 members. Clients can also become VIP members by paying a monthly fee to access more information, including reviews of services by sex workers,” she said.