by Will Davies A gang boss who made millions running one of the country s most successful prostitution rings was jailed for two years yesterday (12). Thai gang leader Sutima Khongpon, 55, ruled over sixty trafficked women working across

by Will Davies

A gang boss who made millions running one of the country's most successful prostitution rings was jailed for two years yesterday (12).

Thai gang leader Sutima Khongpon, 55, ruled over sixty trafficked women working across 20 brothels in Bayswater, Kensington and Paddington, which were all controlled by the Oriental Gems escort agency.

Its website offered a menu of girls and sexual services - with prices ranging from £150 for an hour to £1,000 for an overnight stay.

The ring netted at least £150,000 a week over more than three years.

Women were sold to pimps and forced to pay off £30,000 debts - meaning some never earned a penny.

Three women and seven men were arrested as part of Operation Gib an undercover police initiative which targeted brothels.

On the day of the swoop more than £120,000 in cash was seized.

Agency owner Pongpoj Pitayatanakul, 31, who owns a Mercedes and a lavish £600,000 house in Guildford, Surrey, was jailed for just 18 months.

At Southwark Crown Court he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to control prostitution and conspiracy to launder money between January 1, 2005 and April 21 this year.

Noppharat Charoenying, 29, Graipich Vudto, 28, both of Inverness Terrace, Bayswater, Panya Peakaew, 26, of Westbourne Court, Orsett Terrace, Bayswater and Thatri Pornpaditkong, 27, of Page Street, Westminster, were sentenced to 28 days but released immediately as they had served a longer term on remand.

One impoverished Thai woman arrived in the UK last year looking for work in the sex trade.

She was bought for £11,000 which she was told had to be repaid almost threefold before she could earn money for herself.

The woman was made to work every day for five months whether she was ill or on her period, and was threatened when clients complained.

A total of nine gang members were jailed for a total of ten and a half years.

Detective Superintendent Dave Eyles is in charge of operations at the Met's Clubs and Vice Unit, he said: "This case uncovered some of the largest debt bondages ever come across by my officers. It would have been virtually impossible for the women to ever pay back such substantial amounts of money, making them captives.

"Those who have been identified as key players in Operation Gib were undoubtedly making hundreds of thousands of pounds, all generated through the exploitation and unhappiness of the women who were the victims in all this."

w.davies@archant.co.uk