Dinh Thi Thanh Tuyen, 32, a former flight attendant, her partner Zhang Lei, 40, and five other defendants are facing charges of brokering prostitution. Their alleged actions are detailed in the indictment, which cites Article 328, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court is scheduled to hear the case in December.

Zhang Lei (far right) and accomplices at the time of their arrest. *Photo: Nhat Vy*

According to the indictment, Zhang Lei and Tuyen, who lived together as husband and wife, acquired the Tai Nguyen Fortuner II restaurant on Tran Hung Dao Street, formerly District 5, in 5/2022. They intended to operate it as a food, beverage, and karaoke business. Zhang Lei initially managed the establishment directly, with Tuyen joining the management team in 2/2023.

The restaurant employed approximately 200 female hostesses to serve customers for dining and karaoke. The Chinese owner implemented a specific "rule" stipulating that services were exclusively for customers from China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and other similar regions.

The couple hired several individuals to manage operations: Nguyen Huu Chi as general manager, Nguyen Quoc Anh to manage the female hostesses, Do Xuan Hoang as a security guard supervising hostesses, and Diem and Lieu also as female hostess managers. Additionally, Tu Hung was hired to manage male staff, La Thi Dieu and Le Huynh Hieu Hanh to manage female employees, Dinh Ngoc Bao as a server, and Do Thi Hong Yen as a cashier.

To boost customer numbers and profits, Zhang Lei and Tuyen agreed during management meetings to allow female hostesses to engage in prostitution outside the premises. When a customer requested such a service, they would negotiate directly with the female hostess manager, Nguyen Quoc Anh, to arrange for an employee to provide prostitution services. The agreed prices were 4 million VND for a single session and 7 million VND for an overnight stay.

Police seized nearly 22 billion VND from the safe at the prostitution ring leader's home. *Photo: Nhat Vy*

Codes and procedures for the 'sensitive' service

The prostitution activities at Tai Nguyen Fortuner II restaurant followed a strict procedure. Each day, upon arrival, female hostesses were recorded by Hoang, who noted their code and name in a ledger. He would also ask them if they were willing to engage in prostitution. If a hostess agreed, her name was written in uppercase; otherwise, it was in lowercase.

Hoang then reported this information to Chi, Quoc Anh, Diem, and Lieu. Subsequently, Chi forwarded the list of hostesses, categorized by their willingness to engage in prostitution, to the restaurant's Telegram group "1127," allowing managers and owners to stay informed.

When customers arrived for dining and requested hostess services, the manager would inform Quoc Anh, who would then escort them to a selection room. The women would line up in two rows: one for those willing to engage in prostitution and one for those who were not. If a customer wished to purchase sex, the hostess would notify management for tracking and arrangement.

Hostesses leaving the restaurant for prostitution before 10:30 PM were required to submit an "early leave" request for Chi's approval. After approval, the request was given to Hoang to permit their departure. Between 10:30 PM and 12:00 AM, hostesses wishing to leave had to inform Quoc Anh. Upon receiving approval, Quoc Anh would provide the hostess's code to Hoang to authorize their exit.

Police sealed money suspected of being illicit gains during a search of Zhang Lei's home. *Video: Police provided*

Masterminds confess, claim 2.4 billion VND in profits

On the evening of 17/10/2023, two groups of Chinese customers visited the restaurant, subsequently negotiating with staff and selecting five female hostesses for overnight prostitution, each priced at 7 million VND. Later that night, restaurant staff booked nearby hotels and arranged for the hostesses to provide services there.

That same night, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Criminal Department raided the restaurant and the designated hotels. They caught five female restaurant employees in the act of prostitution.

During the investigation, the defendants admitted to all their criminal acts. Zhang Lei and Tuyen stated that they initiated the policy of allowing female hostesses to engage in prostitution in 2/2023 to attract customers and increase the restaurant's revenue. However, they maintained that they did not directly profit from these specific activities. They claimed that during their operation of Tai Nguyen Fortuner II restaurant, they earned approximately 2,4 billion VND in total, which they used entirely for repairs, decoration, and operational costs of the establishment.

Nguyen Huu Chi reported starting work at the restaurant on 19/10/2023 and had not yet received any salary. Nguyen Quoc Anh stated he had worked for approximately six months and had been paid a total of 66 million VND.

Defendant Hoang claimed he only received a salary from the security company and no salary or commission from the restaurant. Of the two female hostess managers, one stated she had just started and had not yet received a salary, but had received 10 million VND in "tips." The other manager reported receiving two months' salary totaling 14 million VND and 16 million VND in "tips."

Binh Nguyen