"Prostitution Ring Disguised as Business Trip Massages"…Gang That Made 2.5 Billion Won Apprehended

A group that operated a nationwide prostitution ring under the guise of business trip massages has been apprehended by the police.

Business trip massage advertisement site, flyer photo. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The Vice Crime Investigation Team of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 26th that it had arrested and referred to the prosecution Mr. A, the ringleader of the prostitution ring, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (forced prostitution), as well as the Loan Business Act and the Debt Collection Act. Additionally, 33 members of the organization have been referred without detention on charges including violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic (arranging and aiding prostitution).

They are accused of arranging prostitution through internet sites and flyers over a four-year period starting in 2021, and collecting criminal proceeds totaling 2.5 billion won. The organization was structured with a reservations manager, drivers, and sex workers, and used burner phones and bank accounts under borrowed names to avoid police crackdowns, maintaining contact exclusively through non-face-to-face means. When prostitution sites were raided, the operators would attempt to evade responsibility by claiming they were not involved in the prostitution itself.

During the investigation, police also discovered a Thai national who had been forced into prostitution after receiving a high-interest loan from Mr. A and being threatened. She was referred to a victim protection agency.

A representative of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "We will continue to investigate co-owner Mr. B, who is currently overseas, as well as other unidentified accomplices and sex buyers. We also plan to strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies to actively identify women involved in prostitution who are victims of coercion or human trafficking, and to provide thorough protection and support for them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.