Home
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Homesickness, a modern luxury we can all afford
CEIBS forum highlights environmental, social concerns in volatile global markets
Sunday
- Subscribe
17 face charges in club scam
By Li Xinran |
November 9, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THREE karaoke club owners and 14 employees are facing charges of robbery, conducting business using force and organized prostitution involving a hotel sex scam focusing on out-of-towners.
Come-on men lured victims from hotels, bath houses or pubs around the city to the karaoke club run by men surnamed Mao, Pan and Zheng on Tianyaoqiao Road, in the Xujiahui area, and forced them to pay thousands of yuan once they got there, police said.
Victims were told stories about a bath house once offering high-end prostitution services at a local luxury hotel and were urged to visit the so-called new site of the venue, said Xuhui District police in charge of the case.
At the club, victims were asked by half-naked female attendants for details about their financial status and prompted to buy drinks and services.
They were not allowed to leave before paying thousands of yuan on a single bill. One even paid 15,000 yuan (US$2196.72), police said.
Thugs hired by the club even searched their pockets and grabbed their wallets, according to a surveillance video taken by police. Sometimes they used victims' bank cards to take money at ATMs, police added.
A cabbie, also a suspected conspirator, would then drive them around the city via long detours so they couldn't remember the way to the club.
Police raided the club late Wednesday and rounded up 30 people.
Mao, Pan, Zheng and 14 of their employees were detained immediately for further criminal investigation. Six others were penalized with up to 15-day jail terms or fines.
Come-on men lured victims from hotels, bath houses or pubs around the city to the karaoke club run by men surnamed Mao, Pan and Zheng on Tianyaoqiao Road, in the Xujiahui area, and forced them to pay thousands of yuan once they got there, police said.
Victims were told stories about a bath house once offering high-end prostitution services at a local luxury hotel and were urged to visit the so-called new site of the venue, said Xuhui District police in charge of the case.
At the club, victims were asked by half-naked female attendants for details about their financial status and prompted to buy drinks and services.
They were not allowed to leave before paying thousands of yuan on a single bill. One even paid 15,000 yuan (US$2196.72), police said.
Thugs hired by the club even searched their pockets and grabbed their wallets, according to a surveillance video taken by police. Sometimes they used victims' bank cards to take money at ATMs, police added.
A cabbie, also a suspected conspirator, would then drive them around the city via long detours so they couldn't remember the way to the club.
Police raided the club late Wednesday and rounded up 30 people.
Mao, Pan, Zheng and 14 of their employees were detained immediately for further criminal investigation. Six others were penalized with up to 15-day jail terms or fines.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
