An asylum seeker set up a prostitution ring while he was supposed to be under Home Office surveillance, it emerged last night.
Saranwee Kwanpetch, 38, is said to have had more than 40 women at risk of exploitation on his books as sex workers in plush central London.
The Thai national came to the UK on a healthcare visa in 2011 and overstayed illegally for a decade before he was picked up by immigration authorities.
Then, in 2021 he was allowed to stay after applying to the Home Office for refuge, on the condition that he did not work while this was being processed. He is still trying despite being rejected several times.
And despite being under the watch of the Home Office, on May 31 he incorporated StarAsian Ltd – whose nature of business were ‘other activities of employment placement agencies’.
The company, which is based in a building minutes from the Ritz, has a website that says: ‘If you are looking for an Asian escort then you have come to the right place.’
It catalogues more than 40 ‘special companions for every occasion’, who, a source claimed to The Sunday Times, are in the UK illegally and under risk of exploitation.
Prices range from £150 for an hour to £1,000 for a full night.
Bangkok-born Kwanpetch registered as a tenant at ten properties in London and Essex, some of which he is alledged to have rented for escorts to use as as brothels.
One of his workers told the broadsheet that he charged her rent and took a third of her fees.
It is illegal for someone to control any activities relating to someone else’s prostitution for financial gain under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
It is also a criminal offence for a brothel-keeper to organise for women to travel for sex under human trafficking legislation.
On the escort agency’s website, it adds: ‘If for whatever reason you are not able to get into Central London we can travel to you so you will not have to miss out on the fun.’
A customer of the prostitution service, speaking to The Sunday Times, said that he knew Kwanpetch as ‘Benny’ and had reported him to immigration services in December and January. He did not get a response.
Some of the women who worked for Kwanpetch were in the UK on tourist or family visas, it is said, while it is alleged others submitted false asylum claims under his direction.
One of the escorts who works for him said: ‘Anyone can do asylum. Asylum is good because you don’t need to worry about anything. A visa is too hard.’
She further admitted that she had felt ‘in danger’ several times while working, as cruel clients choked and assaulted her.
The Home Office told The Sunday Times: ‘It is a matter of longstanding government policy that we do not comment on individual cases.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
