Dear Hong Kong Police Force,

I would like to know the following regarding the commercial sex industry in Hong Kong.

I. Arrest of sex workers and pimps
1. How many anti-vice operations were conducted in Hong Kong in the past 5 years, involving how many premises in HK? What is the district breakdown of these operations?
2. How many people were arrested for (i) Living on Earnings of Prostitution, (ii) Keeping a Vice Establishment, (iii) Detention of Person in Vice Establishment and (iv) Soliciting for an immoral purpose per year in the past 5 year? What is the (i) gender, (ii) age and (iii) nationality breakdown of the people arrested for per offence?
3. How many migrant sex workers were arrested for ‘breach of condition of stay’ per year in the past 5 years?
a. What is the (i) gender, (ii) age and (iii) nationality breakdown of the people arrested for this offence per year in the past 5 years?
b. What immigration visa were they in possession of when arrested?
4. What strategies do the Police use to identify victims of sex trafficking in these operations? How many victims were identified in the past 5 years?

II. One-woman brothels
5. Which districts are the one-prostitute-apartments most densely located in?
6. How do vice syndicates recruit and arrange migrant sex workers to work in one-woman brothels?
7. Which nationalities are sex workers working in one-woman brothels most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
8. How do vice syndicates exercise control over sex workers in one-woman brothels?
9. How common are vice syndicates known to have a triad background?

III. Vice Establishments / ‘Japanese Style Massage Parlours’
10. Which districts are vices establishments commonly found in Hong Kong?
11. What is the layout of these vice establishments?
12. What is the known number of vice establishments controlled by triad syndicates?
13. How are sex workers recruited to work in vice estabilshments?
14. How do pimps maintain control over sex workers in vice establishments?
15. Which nationalities are sex workers working in vice establishments most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
16. How many sex workers operate in the vice establishment at one time?
17. How many customers can vice establishments host at one time?
18. Are migrant sex workers more likely to come under the control of pimps?
19. What are the main differences between ‘independent’ or voluntary sex workers and those under the control of their pimps?
a. What additional challenges and vulnerabilities do sex workers face if they are under the control of pimps?
b. For sex workers under the control of pimps, to what extent are they more likely to work in multiple vice establishments on demand?

IV. Sex Services Offered in Hotels
20. Which nationalities are sex workers working in hotels most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
21. Which districts are these hotels most commonly found in Hong Kong?
22. What immigration status (e.g. visitors status) are these sex workers most likely under?
23. How do vice syndicates operate and manage the selling of sexual services in hotel rooms?
a. How do they recruit sex workers?
b. Where do they post advertisements to attract clients?
c. How do call centers work?
d. How do vice syndicates (with triad backgrounds) avoid being tracked down?
e. How common is it for these vice syndicates to have a triad background?

V. Saunas and Karaoke Bars
24. Which districts are saunas and karaoke bars providing sex services commonly found in Hong Kong?
25. Which nationalities are sex workers working in saunas and karaoke bars most commonly from?
26. What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
27. How do operators recruit sex workers to work in saunas and karaoke bars?
28. How are sex services provided in saunas and karaoke bars?
What strategies are used to disguise the provision of sex services to avoid being caught by the Police?
29. How do operators manage (or control) sex workers working in saunas and karaoke bars?
30. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do operators take?

VI. Nightclubs
31. Which districts are nightclubs most commonly found in?
32. Which nationalities are sex workers working in nightclubs most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
33. How do operators recruit sex workers to work in nightclubs?
34. How are sex services solicited or provided in nightclubs?
35. How do pimps arrange sex workers to patron in nightclubs to attract male customers?
36. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?
37. What venues are sex services most commonly provided in after solicitation at nightclubs?

VII. Street Prostitutes
38. Which nationalities are sex workers soliciting customers on the street most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
39. Which districts do street sex workers most commonly solicit customers?
40. Where do street sex workers provide sexual services after a deal is struck?
41. How do vice syndicates recruit street prostitutes?
42. How might street sex workers be controlled by pimps? How common is it for street prostitutes to be controlled?
43. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

VIII. Go Go Bars
44. Which nationalities do sex workers in Go Go bars predominantly come from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
45. Which districts are Go Go bars predominantly located in?
46. How do sex workers in Go Go bars attract customers?
47. What venues are sex services provided after solicitation at Go Go bars?
48. How do vice syndicates manage sex workers at Go Go bars?
49. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

IX. Freelance
50. Which nationalities are freelance sex workers predominantly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
51. What venues do freelance sex workers most commonly solicit and provide sex services in?
52. Who are the main clientele for freelance sex workers?

X. Compensated Dating
53. Which nationalities are sex workers in compensated dating predominantly from?
54. What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
55. How common are underaged girls involved in compensated dating?
56. How do sex workers attract customers? Where do sex workers advertise for clients?
57. Which social media discussion forums? How are sex workers classified and categorized in these forums?
58. How do sex workers negotiate deals with customers? (e.g. social media, hotels, motels)
59. How do agents control and coordinate sex workers in compensated dating?
60. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

XI. Private Brothels
61. Which districts are private brothels most commonly located in?
62. What type of buildings or venues are private brothels found in?
63. Which nationalities are sex workers working in private brothels from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
64. In what ways do the operations of private brothels differ from one-woman brothels?
65. How are sex services provided in private brothels?
66. How are customers screened before being allowed to enter brothels?
67. What tactics do vice syndicates employ to distance themselves physically from the actual operation of the vice business to minimize the exposure and avoid being identified/arrested by the Police?
68. Are there operators stationed inside the brothels? What managing roles do sex workers also play in private brothels?
69. What strategies do operators adopt to control and coordinate sex workers in private brothels?
70. How do operators collect money from sex workers?
71. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

XII. Unlicensed Massage Parlours
72. How are sex services provided in unlicensed massage parlours, foot massage parlours and salons?
73. What tactics do vice syndicates use to disguise the provision of sex services? How do operators remain discreet?
74. How do vice syndicates manage and coordinate sex workers?
75. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?
76. Which districts are these venues most commonly located in?
77. Which nationalities are sex workers working in these venues from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?

Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,
Helen Leung

Dear Hong Kong Police Force Mong Kok District,

I would kindly like to follow up on our inquiry dated 29 November 2019.

Thank you very much for taking the time to consider these questions and I look forward to your favourable response.

Yours faithfully,

Helen Leung

Dear Hong Kong Police Force Mong Kok District,

We understand that response to requests must be received within 20 working days. We kindly ask you to follow up on our request at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Helen Leung