Maida Vale trafficking couple who ran upmarket brothels in Kensington and Marylebone jailed for 12 years
A husband and wife who ran two central London brothels using victims of human trafficking, have been jailed for a total of more than 12 years.
Wai Tsang, 53, and Wenwen Pan, 41, ran brothels in High Street Kensington and Marylebone over a five-year period from 1 January 2015 to 17 January 2020.
The couple hid the establishments by using massage parlours as a ruse, but clients could expect to pay up to £230 for services provided. The brothels were only discovered after one woman sought help from the police.
Today (Friday, 26 February 2021) Tsang and Pan were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court. Tsang received five years and eight months in prison. Pan received six years and eight months. They were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit human trafficking, conspiracy to control prostitution for gain and possessing criminal property following a five-week trial, which concluded in November last year. Pan was also convicted of two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.
When Pan was arrested among her possessions there were more than 70 mobile phones with messages from clients. The prosecution case included a vast amount of evidence including notebooks with details of earnings and the cuts to be taken. These were all found at the defendants’ home address.
Damaris Lakin, from the CPS, said: “Wai Tsang and Wenwen Pan exploited vulnerable women by forcing them into sexual exploitation to make money for themselves. Their actions were callous, predatory and greedy.
“Human trafficking offences involve some of the most devasting personal stories. The CPS will work tirelessly to bring offenders before the courts where there is the evidence to do so.”
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