Trafficking gang guilty of running apartments to sell sex

Three people were convicted of their involvement in lucrative apartments for the sale of sexual services, where women were trafficked for work.

Qin Huang, 31, Guolei Huang, 35, and Xiao Min, 38, were arrested as part of a joint Police Scotland and Home Office investigation, Operation Fasthold.

A number of women, mainly from East Asia, had been exploited by a sophisticated criminal gang to provide sexual services in Glasgow, Edinburgh and across the UK, the court heard .

The trio, all first offenders, face long prison sentences for their roles in the gang.

Qin and Xiao pleaded guilty to a charge under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act that prosecutors said included “aiding and abetting prostitution.” The crime took place between December 2018 and September 2021.

Guolei admitted charges of being involved in running a brothel across two flats in Glasgow.

The judge, Lady Poole, remanded all three men in custody pending sentencing next month.

Greg Farrell, representing the prosecution, told the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday: “Police uncovered a sophisticated and significant criminal network which organised, recruited and facilitated prostitution. It also involved the transportation and accommodation of women working as prostitutes.

Farrell added that the gang had raked in “significant financial income” through false identities to rent apartments used as brothels. The court was told that £200,000 was spent on adverts on adult website Viva Street by a so-called commercial agency company.

Farrell said: “There is no evidence to suggest that any of the three provided the funding for these projects. »

He said Qin's was involved in the “day-to-day management” of women and sexual properties for sale. She also helped organize online advertisements.

Guolei was a “caretaker,” while Xiao had a “supervisor” role in leasing the properties.

In February 2020, police became aware that a flat in the Dennistoun area of ​​Glasgow was being run as what was described as a “Chinese brothel”. Agents raided it months later and found Guolei there with one of the trafficked women.

Farrell said: “He had been equipped and set up for the provision of sexual services. This meant having a bed with towels on it and a side table with condoms, wipes and baby oil.

Another brothel was discovered in a flat in the Garnethill area, along with two others – in Dennistoun and Port Dundas – plus one in Edinburgh's Old Town.

In May 2021, Qin was found to be operating from a new “sexual exploitation” premises in Glasgow Townhead. There was another sex apartment for sale in Kelvinbridge in the town.

The court was told of the cases of five women brought to the UK by the gang. Two of them were in debt in China, another was recruited after being approached in a casino, while a fourth had her passport taken away before being helped to “establish herself” as a sex worker . A fifth woman said she arrived in England in 2019 and worked there illegally before being “recommended” to go to Scotland.

Sentencing was postponed for reports until next month.