Westminster Couple Caught in Shocking Sex Trafficking Plot
Wai Tsang, 52, and Wenwen Pan, 40, both from St Mary’s Terrace, Westminster, have been found guilty of a chilling human trafficking conspiracy. After a five-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, they were convicted of controlling prostitution for financial gain and possession of criminal property. Pan also faced charges for possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.
The pair will be sentenced on 22 January 2021.
Trafficked Woman’s Harrowing Story
The nightmare began when a woman in her 30s arrived at Kensington Police Station on 23 July 2019. She revealed she had been trafficked from China to the UK in December 2015 and forced into sex work. Her arrival was linked to a gambling debt owed by her husband in China. Told she would be picked up from Heathrow and provided for, she was met instead by her husband’s friend, who immediately raped her and confiscated her travel documents.
“It was then made clear I had been sold,” the victim told the court. She endured daily abuse, forced to have sex with up to 10 men a day at multiple locations. For a time, she was trapped at a property on High Street Kensington, forced to work as a sex worker under the control of a Chinese couple known as ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Mimi’—later uncovered as Tsang and Pan.
Brutal Control and Drug Dealing
Tsang mainly transported the victim to ‘outcalls’—clients’ homes or hotel rooms—with Pan organising bookings via messaging apps. Fees for each session ranged from £120 to £230, all handed over to Tsang.
Disturbingly, the victim was also pressured into selling cocaine and crystal meth to clients. Pan’s cruelty extended to violence; when the victim refused drugs with a client, Pan kicked her and pulled her hair. Threats to harm her family ensured the victim stayed silent and trapped for years.
Undercover Operation and Police Arrest
After the victim finally reported her ordeal in 2019, the Met launched Operation Laius. Undercover officers confirmed sexual services were being arranged and executed multiple warrants in January 2020. Tsang was arrested in Waterloo Place mid-pickup, found with a stash of condoms, underwear, and the victim’s passport in his car.
Pan, who tried to hide evidence by tossing phones out of a window, was caught with 74 mobile phones, hundreds of condoms, revealing outfits, passports, and a haul of Class A drugs in their flat.
Bank records revealed payments to sex service websites and taxis, exposing the scale of the operation. Despite Tsang’s claim of running a massage business, police found no sign of a legitimate trade.
Police Praise Brave Victim and Call for Public Vigilance
PC Sam Bhangu, Sexual Exploitation Team, said: “Tsang and Pan treated these women as commodities, showing zero regard for their wellbeing. The victim’s bravery in coming forward was vital in bringing them to justice.”
“She was trapped in fear for herself and her family but found the courage to seek help, and now these criminals face a lengthy prison sentence.”
Detective Constable Stu Higgs added: “Human trafficking often hides in plain sight. We urge the public to stay alert, report suspicions, and help protect vulnerable people.”
