Glasgow trafficking gang jailed over prostitution ring
- Published
From left: Vlassis Ntaoulias, Donglin Zhang, Boonsong Wannas and Jagpal Singh
A gang who trafficked vulnerable women into Scotland for prostitution have been jailed for a total of 31 years.
Jagpal Singh, 52, his partner Donglin Zhang, 49, along with Vlassis Ntaoulias, 33, and Boonsong Wannas, 63, lured victims from China and Thailand with the promise of legitimate jobs.
The women instead had passports taken from them before being forced to work in brothels across Glasgow.
All four members of the group were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.
They returned to the dock on Thursday following a trial last month over crimes carried out between 2018 and 2020.
Singh, Zhang and Ntaoulias were convicted of human trafficking. Wannas had earlier admitted the same charge.
'Cold and callous'
Singh was jailed for 10 years. He had also been convicted of a charge of keeping a brothel.
Sentencing, Judge Douglas Brown told him: "You accuse the victims of lying.
"I also note you have displayed no empathy and that your attitude has been cold and callous."
Zhang was sentenced to eight years. She had also been found guilty of the brothel charge as well as aiding and abetting prostitution.
The judge said Zhang, who claimed to have formerly been a victim of human trafficking, had played a "leading role".
He added if she had been a victim of trafficking she should have been aware of the "pernicious nature" of the crime.
Ntaoulias, who was said to have a lesser but still "significant" involvement, was sentenced to seven years, while Wannas was jailed for six years and four months.
Wannas was also involved in the running of a brothel and was said to have "plainly exploited" a woman from Thailand.
Detectives caught the trafficking gang following an investigation in 2020.
Three women recounted their ordeals, though several others are also thought to have been affected.
A number of flats were used for the prostitution - including one in Glasgow's Albion Street and another city centre property in Oswald Street.
There were others in Charlotte Street in the east end, in Cathcart Road in the southside and in Linden Street in the west of the city.
'Female boss'
One victim told jurors that she was brought to Glasgow from China in September 2018 in the belief she would be employed as a dishwasher, babysitter or masseuse.
But she recalled being ferried to a city centre flat and her passport seized by Zhang - branded the "female boss".
The woman stated she initially did cleaning work but was not paid. She was then taken to a second flat by Singh and Zhang who ordered her to sell her body.
The woman told the court: "I said no and she said if you don't listen to me ... I will make sure you never go back to China."
She went on to meet men "every day" at the flat or in hotels.
Singh and Ntaoulias - who ran an Airbnb property business - exchanged messages where they spoke about "new fresh Chinese girls."
Property manager James Taylor told jurors that he encountered two Chinese women in nightdresses during an inspection of Singh's Albion Street flat.
He stated the property contained CCTV and a dentist style waiting area outside two bedrooms - one of which contained a naked Glaswegian man.
Singh eventually left Scotland, but Zhang and Ntaoulias kept the prostitution business going.
Ntaoulias and Wannas were also involved in the brothel at Charlotte Street.
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