In France, a suspected prostitution network operating through Chinese massage parlors offering sexual services for a fee was dismantled last week, according to information provided by the judicial police (PJ) on Monday.

The investigation began with an anonymous letter sent to the police in Saint-Étienne in August 2022, accusing the managers of a massage parlor in the city of facilitating prostitution by its employees. Surveillance and customer interviews conducted by police officers confirmed these allegations. In addition to traditional massages, men were encouraged to pay an additional cash amount of a few tens of euros for a “manual finish,” always offered on-site and never over the phone.

Furthermore, investigators established that the managers were also involved in other parlors in several cities across France. A total of seven establishments were identified in Saint-Étienne, Saint-Chamond (Loire), Lyon, Valence, Chartres, and Le Havre.

The investigation revealed the pyramid structure of the network. “At the top, there was a Chinese couple based in the Paris region, with salon managers at the intermediate level, and undocumented masseuses who performed 20-minute sessions, seven days a week, from early morning until late at night,” explained Elvire Arrighi, head of the Central Office for the Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings.

“Masseuses who were not considered attractive enough were encouraged to undergo cosmetic surgery.”

Overall, the network generated an estimated turnover of nearly 1.4 million euros over a three-year period, according to PJ estimates.

During their interviews, the masseuses claimed, “in a well-prepared statement, that they did it for pocket money,” without their employers’ knowledge, added the commissioner. Cameras were positioned at the entrance of the parlors by the couple in charge of the network to keep track of the number of clients and ensure that the managers were present. Masseuses who were not deemed “attractive enough” were also “encouraged to undergo cosmetic surgery,” Elvire Arrighi further revealed.

In total, ten individuals were charged on Friday. The wife of the couple was placed in custody, while the others were placed under judicial supervision.