Chinese National Arrested for Trafficking Women in Boston Prostitution Ring

A Chinese citizen, Zengzeng Liu, also known as ‘Bella,’ was detained on federal charges on Wednesday. Allegations state she was involved in trafficking women from Asia for a prostitution network based in Boston apartments.

On June 24, a federal grand jury in Massachusetts indicted Liu, aged 40, with four counts of recruiting or persuading individuals to travel for prostitution. Additionally, she faces three counts of using interstate or foreign communications for running a racketeering enterprise, as detailed in a federal affidavit submitted by an FBI task force member.

FBI Investigation

The FBI began investigations following the discovery of advertisements on a well-known website promoting prostitution. The advertisements directed potential clients to apartments located in Boston’s Allston and Brighton neighborhoods.

An undercover FBI agent contacted the phone number in one of the ads, arranging a $600 meeting for commercial sex at an apartment on Gardner Street in Allston. Local residents had earlier reported frequent male visitors to the area.

Upon arrival, the agent found a woman in her underwear at the door. After disclosing their identities, the agent, along with task force officers, entered the apartment.

Inside the Apartment

Investigators discovered a sparsely furnished two-bedroom unit. Each room contained a single bed draped with a white sheet, along with bottles of lubricant and toilet paper rolls nearby.

The woman, speaking through a translation app, identified herself as Japanese. She revealed her journey began in Flushing, Queens, New York City, before arriving in Boston five days earlier under arrangements made by Liu, whom she identified simply as the “boss.” Liu had organized her travel to the Gardner Street address.

Information regarding “dates” was reportedly communicated through WeChat, a Chinese messaging application.

After obtaining payments from clients, the woman expected to retain a portion of the earnings. However, male visitors of Asian descent frequently collected the money, forwarding it to Zengzeng.

Operation Details

The FBI’s findings reveal that the operation’s recruits were primarily foreign nationals, including individuals from Japan and Vietnam. The women were confined to the apartments during their stay in Boston.

All recruited women recounted similar recruitment processes through WeChat and noted they had never personally met Liu.

If convicted, Liu could receive up to 20 years in prison for each charge of recruiting or persuading individuals to travel for prostitution, with an additional potential for up to five years on each racketeering-related charge.

For further details, Newsweek editors Frances Mao and Tony Phillips are handling inquiries related to this case.