A CHINESE gang have been sentenced for running a string of brothels across the country – including one in Chelmsford.

Dongning Zhang, 35, of Gloucester Place in Marylebone, south-west London, led the operation and was jailed for four years and three months after pleading guilty to controlling prostitution and money laundering.

His wife Shuangyan Hu , 37, of St Kilda’s Road in Harrow, London, was the second in command.

She was arrested during the initial raid on Zhang’s home and found to be in possession of £8,000 cash.

Hu pleaded not guilty to the same offences as her husband but was convicted following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

She was sentenced to three and a half years.

The brothels were located in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, one in nearby Tonbridge, others in Brentwood and Chelmsford, in the Surrey towns of Maidenhead, Reading and Cheltenham, and several in Islington, London.

The final person sentenced was Kai Shao, 62, of Lime Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, who was linked to two brothels raided in Tunbridge Wells and took instructions from Zhang on the day-to-day running of the business.

He acted as a manager for the premises and would take cash earned by the sex workers while also acting as a security guard and cook.

Shao was jailed for one year and eight months after also pleading guilty to controlling prostitution and money laundering.

The three offenders were all sentenced on Friday 21 June.

Senior investigating officer Kris Eberlein said: ‘People who run brothels prey on the most vulnerable members of society with little regard for their safety or welfare. Our priority in tackling such offending is to ensure those who are being exploited are provided with any support they may require.

‘We also know that the running of brothels has links to people-trafficking and modern slavery, placing victims in dangerous situations with complete strangers in unfamiliar locations far from home.

“Dongning Zhang, Shuangyan Hu and Kai Shao were involved in the running of a number of brothels across the country and had no other legitimate explanation for why such large sums of money were recovered by police during the warrants that were executed.”