ICAC and Police joint operation against 'vice den bribers'
2000-11-21
The ICAC and the Police today (Tuesday) launched a joint operation at two vice dens in Yuen Long in relation to an alleged bribery scam engineered by vice den operators to entice a police officer to provide warnings on police raids.
The operation, code-named “Dragon Light”, arose from an ICAC investigation which commenced in September this year, following a referral from the Police.
A vice den operator and her boss, together with three women who allegedly provided prostitution service, were arrested by the ICAC. The women, who are holders of two-way permits, were handed over to the Police for further investigation.
Police information revealed that one of the vice den operators arrested had approached a Police Constable (PC) of the Yuen Long District Special Duty Squad Team in September this year.
She allegedly offered the PC a discount on prostitution service in return for tip-offs about police raids on her vice establishment. While the normal charge was $350, the PC was promised prostitution service at $250 only.
The police officer subsequently reported the matter to the District Operations Officer. The case was then referred to the ICAC.
With the cooperation of the Police, the ICAC monitored various meetings between the PC and the vice den keeper.
At one of the meetings held last month, the operator further offered a monthly bribe payment of $2,000 on behalf of her boss who ran another vice establishment in the district.
The money was said to be reward for the PC to provide prior warnings about anti-vice raids at that vice establishment.
In the course of the investigation, an ICAC officer had posed as the PC's girlfriend and collected the first installment from the operator.
Investigations revealed that the vice den operator and her boss had been recruiting Mainland women travelling to Hong Kong on two-way permits to work as prostitutes in the territory.
During today's operation, the PC and two other undercover ICAC officers visited one of the vice dens and pretended that they wished to engage in prostitution service at a discounted price as previously agreed.
Arrests were made after the prostitutes were introduced to the officers.
Meanwhile, the two women arrested by the ICAC, aged 55 and 57, are still being detained. The ICAC inquiry is continuing.
The operation, code-named “Dragon Light”, arose from an ICAC investigation which commenced in September this year, following a referral from the Police.
A vice den operator and her boss, together with three women who allegedly provided prostitution service, were arrested by the ICAC. The women, who are holders of two-way permits, were handed over to the Police for further investigation.
Police information revealed that one of the vice den operators arrested had approached a Police Constable (PC) of the Yuen Long District Special Duty Squad Team in September this year.
She allegedly offered the PC a discount on prostitution service in return for tip-offs about police raids on her vice establishment. While the normal charge was $350, the PC was promised prostitution service at $250 only.
The police officer subsequently reported the matter to the District Operations Officer. The case was then referred to the ICAC.
With the cooperation of the Police, the ICAC monitored various meetings between the PC and the vice den keeper.
At one of the meetings held last month, the operator further offered a monthly bribe payment of $2,000 on behalf of her boss who ran another vice establishment in the district.
The money was said to be reward for the PC to provide prior warnings about anti-vice raids at that vice establishment.
In the course of the investigation, an ICAC officer had posed as the PC's girlfriend and collected the first installment from the operator.
Investigations revealed that the vice den operator and her boss had been recruiting Mainland women travelling to Hong Kong on two-way permits to work as prostitutes in the territory.
During today's operation, the PC and two other undercover ICAC officers visited one of the vice dens and pretended that they wished to engage in prostitution service at a discounted price as previously agreed.
Arrests were made after the prostitutes were introduced to the officers.
Meanwhile, the two women arrested by the ICAC, aged 55 and 57, are still being detained. The ICAC inquiry is continuing.