Macau police have broken up a major prostitution ring, the second such high-profile bust since the year started.
On Wednesday, Macau officials announced the arrests of 42 individuals, including one alleged ‘kingpin’ who was just 17 years old. The suspects include 36 alleged gang members, three relatives of gang members and three prostitutes. The suspects are all from the Chinese mainland. Prostitution is legal in Macau but pimping carries a potential jail term of up to eight years.
The ring’s kingpins operated out of four rooms in a hotel on Cotai, although police have yet to identify the name of the property. Police said the ring used social network accounts to attract clients.
The working girls would meet clients at hotels of the clients’ choosing. Clients would pay between MOP 1k-3k (US $$125-$375), of which the girls would keep 50%, although they weren’t paid until they returned to the mainland. The gang member who found the client would get 30% and the remaining 20% went to the kingpins.