Overview
- Prosecutors in Frankfurt filed the indictment Friday, naming four Chinese nationals aged 46, 43, 42, and 35 and a 22-year-old German, with three of the five held in pre-trial detention.
- Investigators say the group ran more than 500 prostitution sites over about three years by renting apartments and hotel rooms across Germany and using Chinese women without residence or work permits.
- The operation allegedly relied on a professional phone network in China that handled bookings, payments, and customer messages.
- Two lead suspects also face claims of nearly €3 million in unpaid taxes and about €3.5 million in social-security losses tied to the scheme.
- Roles cited in the indictment include customer recruitment and cash collection by the two alleged ringleaders, driving and money pickup by the 22-year-old, a massage studio provided by the 42-year-old, and on-site management by the 46-year-old.