Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested a group of suspects on suspicion of selling young girls into sexual exploitation.

Police officers in District 12 confirmed on Wednesday they had apprehended Pham Hoang Em, 34, Vu Van Tuan, 28, Vu Duc Hoang, 42, and Vu Hoang Tan, 18, on charges of trafficking in people under 16 years old and unlawful detention.

On December 12, officers inspected the hotel owned by Le Thanh Doan, 36, in District 12, according to preliminary information.

There were 11 girls, including a 14-year-old, at the hotel.

Tuan, Hoang, and Tan were employees at the venue.

After collecting statements from Tuan, Hoang, and Tan, officers later took Em into custody.

The investigation revealed that Em was the manager of a karaoke parlor in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

In September, Em made a deal with Doan to sell his female employees to work at Doan’s hotel.

Em had so far sold five girls to Doan for a total of VND140 million (US$5,900).

Most of the girls working at the karaoke parlor owed Em money after he had helped them pay up their debts.

The girls were required to work for Em in return.

Em often charged them additional money for their violations of the venue’s rules, plus interest rates. They had to pay a large amount of money if they quit without permission.

After being sold to Doan, the girls were required to shoot nude photos for the advertising of sexual services at the hotel.

Tuan, Hoang, and Tan were in charge of preventing the girls from escaping.

Police have also requested Doan to turn himself in to facilitate the probe.

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