香港警方因涉嫌跨境卖淫集团从东南亚招募妇女，要求她们提供无偿性服务以偿还旅行债务，已逮捕20人。
Hong Kong police have arrested 20 people in connection with a cross-border prostitution syndicate that allegedly recruited women from Southeast Asia and required them to provide unpaid sexual services to repay travel debts.
警方周二表示，该集团为妇女支付旅行和住宿费用，但要求她们在能够从卖淫中赚取收入前，提供30至45次无偿性服务。妇女随后必须上交一半的收入。
Police said on Tuesday that the syndicate paid for the women’s travel and accommodation but required them to provide sexual services 30 to 45 times without payment before they could earn money from prostitution. The women then had to hand over half their earnings.
“这种方式使妇女在刚抵达香港时完全处于集团的控制之下，同时让集团能够获取巨额利润，”特别职务队高级警司林华仁说。
“This method left the women completely under the group’s control when they first arrived in Hong Kong, while allowing the syndicate to make huge profits,” Senior Inspector Lam Wa-yan of the special duties squad said.
警方于6月开始调查，当时注意到在卖淫突击行动中被捕的几名妇女持有东南亚国家护照，且具有相似的背景、旅行模式和活动区域。
Police began investigating in June after noticing that several women arrested during prostitution raids held passports from Southeast Asian countries and had similar backgrounds, travel patterns and areas of activity.
调查人员随后确认，该集团成员多年居住在香港，据称利用其人脉和语言能力在东南亚招募妇女。
Investigators later identified syndicate members who had lived in Hong Kong for years and allegedly used their networks and language skills to recruit women in Southeast Asia.
该集团在深水埗和荃湾租下三套住宅单位，将其划分为用作妓院的隔间。
The syndicate rented three flats in Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan and divided them into cubicles used as brothels.
警方表示，妇女被要求将全部或一半的现金收入放入信封，并在指定地点留下，供成员收取。
Police said the women were required to place all or half of their cash earnings in envelopes and leave them at designated locations for members to collect.
在得知该集团计划于10月10日将更多妇女带到香港后，警方进行监视，并看到核心成员将她们从机场送往集团的妓院。随后，警方在深水埗、荃湾、屯门、元朗和沙田进行突击搜查。
After learning that the syndicate planned to bring more women to Hong Kong on October 10, officers carried out surveillance and saw core members take them from the airport to the group’s brothels. Police then raided premises in Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Sha Tin.
被捕的20名嫌疑人中，包括1名男子和19名年龄在20至86岁的妇女，涉嫌集团头目、核心成员及16名性工作者。
The 20 suspects – one man and 19 women aged 20 to 86 – included the alleged ringleader, core members and 16 sex workers.
其中4人持有香港身份证，2人持保释认可书，14人持东南亚国家�发的护照。警方表示，一名嫌疑人具有黑社会背景。
Four held Hong Kong identity cards, two held recognisance forms and 14 held passports issued by Southeast Asian countries. Police said one suspect had a triad background.
周二，两名涉案核心成员在西九龙法院出庭受审，被控将人员贩运出入境香港以及靠卖淫收入维生。
Two alleged core members appeared in West Kowloon Court on Tuesday, charged with trafficking people into or out of Hong Kong and living off the earnings of prostitution.
警方表示，另外16名嫌疑人将被控违反逗留条件，并于周三出庭受审。其余两人则获准保释候查。
Police said 16 other suspects would be charged with breaching their conditions of stay and would appear in court on Wednesday. The remaining two were to be released on bail pending further investigation.
警员还查获了约10万港元（合12,742美元）现金，以及手机、账簿、安全套和润滑剂。
Officers also seized about HK$100,000 (US$12,742) in cash, as well as phones, account books, condoms and lubricants.
警方冻结了超过1000万港元的疑似犯罪所得，并认为与该犯罪团伙有关联的账户在几年内被用于清洗超过1000万港元的资金。调查仍在继续，警方不排除会有进一步的逮捕行动。
Police froze more than HK$10 million in suspected crime proceeds and believe accounts linked to the syndicate were used to launder more than HK$10 million over several years. The investigation is continuing and police have not ruled out further arrests.