East London pimp, 50, jailed after police bring down UK prostitution gang who ‘treated women like a commodity’

An East London pimp who was part of a UK wide prostitution gang has been jailed for 16 months. Xinghai Zhou, 50, of Etchingham Road in Leyton was convicted of conspiracy to control prostitution, then sentenced along with five others at Preston Crown Court on Friday (May 19) after an investigation by Lancashire Police uncovered a network of brothels up and down the country.

Lancashire Constabulary’s East Exploitation Team launched an investigation into nationwide sexual exploitation and human trafficking in September 2022 after concerns were raised about sexual services being advertised online.

As part of the operation, they executed a search warrant at a property in Blackburn and that led to further searches and arrests at properties in Accrington, St Helens, Hertfordshire and London. A number of women are now safeguarded and the gang is in prison.

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Clockwise – Yi Chen Cheng, Xinghai Zhou, Wanchun Zhang, Hongli Yi, Li Neng Leong, and Shi Guang Zhong(Image: Lancs Police)

DS Stu Peall, of the East Exploitation Team, said: “The women at these brothels were treated as nothing more than a commodity without any regard for their wellbeing or human rights. The evidence clearly showed that these people were controlling these women for the purposes of prostitution.

“Lancashire Constabulary is committed to tackling exploitation of all kinds and today’s sentences are the culmination of the hard work and dedication of our officers who continue to work proactively to put an end to modern slavery.”

“We welcome any community intelligence that may help to identify addresses where prostitution may be taking place. If you suspect suspicious activity is taking place, please let us know. We take all reports seriously and will investigate thoroughly.