From runner to brothel operator: Man jailed 16.5 months, fined $53,000
In 2014, he began acting as a middleman between prostitutes and their landlords.
However, Wee Teck Chuan eventually realised he could make more money running his own vice business.
The 52-year-old’s operation, which included four assistants, involved renting condominium rooms and then sub-letting them to prostitutes. This modus operandi saw him earning over $60,000 in profits over two years.
Even after being arrested, Wee continued to sub-let rooms to prostitutes. On Tuesday (30 October), he was sentenced to 16 months and two weeks’ jail along with a $53,000 fine.
He pleaded guilty to six prostitution-related offences along with one count of betting online, all of which were committed from January 2016 to March this year.
Nine counts of a similar nature were taken into consideration for Wee’s sentencing. One count of harbouring an illegal immigrant was stood down and set to be dealt with later.
One of his assistants, 58-year-old Ong Eng Guan, also admitted to offences under the Women’s Charter and was jailed for 11 weeks and fined $1,500 on Tuesday.
Another co-accused, 30-year-old Low Kiat Seng, was jailed six weeks and fined $1,500 for his role in the offences. Wee’s remaining two assistants have yet to be dealt with.
A business opportunity
According to court documents Wee entered the vice room rental trade in early 2014 after he engaged a prostitute’s services. The woman told him that her friends were looking for rooms to rent for their business and sought his assistance.
After some research, Wee decided that he had been presented with a profitable business opportunity.
He initially acted as a middleman, introducing prostitutes to other sub-tenants for a referral fee of $10 for each day the room was rented.
Wee would actively search for sub-tenants on WeChat looking to rent out their premises to prostitutes.
After compiling the addresses and layout plans of these premises, Wee also looked for prostitutes and offered them the accommodations he found. Wee later progressed from referrals to collecting rental monies on behalf of the sub-tenants, earning $10 for each day of rent paid.
From middleman to brothel owner
Wee decided to become a brothel operator after he discovered from his “work” as an agent and runner that the sub-tenants made the most profits.
He eventually started his own business by renting units at People’s Park Complex and along Tanjong Katong Road – and then sub-letting them to prostitutes.
Wee would rent out private condominium units either in his own name, or have one of his four assistants do so. The landlords of the units were unaware that their premises were used as brothels.
Using WeChat, Wee would advertise his rooms to prostitutes for their work and stay. He obtained their contacts online and through other vice agents.
He would charge the prostitutes daily rental rates of between $90 and $140 per room and collected the rents weekly. The monthly collections amounted to more than $5,000 per unit, which was double the amount that Wee paid in rent on average.
Recruiting help
Wee got to know Ong in 2013 through mutual friends. In early 2014, Ong told Wee about his financial difficulties and the latter asked Ong to sign tenancy agreements on his behalf.
Wee offered Ong $300 per month for each unit and Ong agreed to the deal. Wee also told Ong to lie to property agents that he was using the unit to either store goods, house a mistress or as work quarters.
Ong rented at least four units on behalf of Wee for the brothel enterprise. Ong also assisted Wee in collecting rental money from the prostitutes and remained “wilfully blind” to the nature of the business Wee was running, said the prosecution.
Continued business while on bail
The illegal business came to light after police received complaints from residents at several condominiums who had received flyers about suspected vice activities. The flyers included a photograph of Wee.
Wee was arrested in October 2016. While out on police bail he continued his business, renting out two more units to prostitutes between December 2016 and May 2017.
Even when Wee was charged in court on 20 December 2017 and released on court bail, Wee resumed his illicit enterprise for another few months.
Between January 2016 and March 2018, Wee housed 10 prostitutes from China, collecting at least $63,900 in rental earnings.
Other vices
While being investigated for the brothel offences, Wee was also found to have participated in remote gambling activities through an illegal operator. Between 4 and 18 September 2016, Wee bet a total of $34,408 on soccer games.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Gail Wong and Eunice Lau sought 18 months’ and three weeks’ jail for Wee with a total fine of $56,000.
DPP Wong said that Wee was closely involved in the work of the prostitutes and remained in control of all aspects of his illegal business.
Wee’s lawyer, Charles Yeo, asked for a sentence of between 12 and 15 months and a fine, stating that Wee’s operation had not been on a grand scale. He added that Wee had not intimidated the prostitutes and merely assisted them.
More Singapore stories:
Tourist jailed, fined for assaulting elderly taxi driver
UK orders extradition of StanChart bank robbery suspect to Singapore
