Sex gang ‘made millions’ from web call girls

Up to 60 “escorts” – some as young as 18 – worked from “at least” 20 brothels across London, often entertaining dozens of customers a week.

Prices ranged from £150 for a one hour “call” to £1,500 for overnight “companionship”.

But because the women were charged exorbitant £30,000 “debt bondages” to pay travel costs, they were forced to sell their bodies numerous times before they were allowed to keep any of the money they made.

Police estimate that altogether the “well-organised” operation involved hundreds of prostitutes since it was set up nearly four years ago.

With takings estimated at a “conservative” £800,000-a-year, the gang is believed to have pocketed a minimum £3.2 million.

Although £119,000 was seized from various brothels during the raids and £60,000 recovered from a safe deposit box, police are carrying out extensive international inquiries to trace huge “assets” thought to be hidden abroad.

They variously admitted conspiring to launder money, plotting to control prostitution as well as individual counts of controlling prostitution between January 1, 2005 and April 21 this year.

The three-day sentencing hearing will hear the lucrative Oriental Gems enterprise was owned and run by the Mercedes owning brothers – who also enjoyed a lavishly furnished five-bedroom Surrey retreat – and Duangthip.

They looked after the website, took calls from clients and told prostitutes which punters to “service”.

Others were responsible for ferrying the “girls” to their various assignations and collecting the cash.

The police investigation began after they were told about the gang’s website.

Details of some 60 south-east Asian prostitutes – most from Thailand – working from bordellos in Bayswater, Kensington and Paddington were accompanied with a photo gallery of them naked or semi-naked in numerous provocative poses .

It also listed their sexual specialities.

Some of the women later told police how they were effectively “purchased” by some of the defendants, and then forced to pay-off their hugely inflated travel costs.

One explained how her journey began from a Bangkok hotel where she was handed fake educational qualifications, bogus address and imaginary family background to apply for a Swedish visa.

Once in the Scandinavian country she flew to Gatwick.

In London she met up with her “controller or owner” and learnt it would cost £30,000 to purchase her “freedom” and earn money for herself.

After being told she could clear her debt more quickly by offering punters “all services”, her passport was taken to prevent her changing her mind, and she was taken on an Ann Summers shopping spree for some raunchy lingerie.

Then she was given a list of rules that included instruction of how to serve customers drinks and even give them a bath.

She told officers that while selling herself to men, one of her regular customers realised she was unhappy, eventually fell in love with her and then cleared her outstanding “debts” of £18,000.

Another escort interviewed by police said she was provided with a Canadian passport to help get her into Britain.

But her hopes of well-paid work were dashed when she learnt how much she owed and was then forced to entertain clients every day for five months. She was even forced to work while ill.