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Three people who ran a prostitution network through massage parlours, including one in Cambridgeshire, have been jailed.

Khondaker Fuad Hasan, 40, Liu Xu Hopkins, 56, and her husband Benjamin Hopkins, 57, previously admitted conspiracy to control prostitution for gain in court last year.

The network made more than £500k in profit. The trio used Chinese health and massage businesses as a front for sexual services, including in Ely, Chippenham, Gloucester, Bury St Edmunds, Reading and Cheltenham.

One woman was brought from China to work at the venues. Other women were recruited through adverts and travelled from across the UK to work at the premises.

Each defendant had their own role. Hasan managed day-to-day operations and finances, while Liu Xu Hopkins sourced and managed workers, coordinating their movement between the venues.

Benjamin Hopkins maintained the properties and transported the women between locations. Liu Xu Hopkins, from Bristol, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after appearing at Swindon Crown Court on Friday (July 17). At the same court, her husband Benjamin Hopkins, also from Bristol, and Hasan, 40, from Leicester, were handed 18-month prison sentences.

Andrew Eddy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a deliberate and exploitative operation run for profit, in which women were treated as commodities. The defendants exercised control over the women's movements, work and living arrangements, while concealing their criminal activity behind the appearance of legitimate massage businesses. The CPS will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who seek to exploit others for financial gain.”

Detective Chief inspector Adam Smith from the SWROCU said: “This investigation began thanks to a referral from Wiltshire Police following community concerns about businesses in Chippenham. Thanks to that initial intelligence we were able to uncover a network of brothels exploiting women for the financial gain of Mr and Mrs Hopkins and Mr Hasan.

“The next stage of our investigation is to determine what assets the trio have derived from crime and deprive them of these. We'll also apply for serious crime prevention orders to prevent them from being able to run or open any similar businesses in the future.”