Police take statements from suspected sex workers after catching two couples in the act at a high-end resort in Hà Tĩnh. — Photo cand.com.vn

HÀ TĨNH — Police in the north-central province of Hà Tĩnh have dismantled a prostitution ring that marketed itself using the names and photos of beauty pageant winners and TikTok influencers, charging up to VNĐ150 million (US$5,700) for multi-day 'tour' packages.

Police announced on Sunday they had charged Nguyễn Thị Thảo, 26, of Thanh Hóa Province, and Vi Thị Nụ, 21, of Bắc Ninh Province, with brokering prostitution.

Investigators traced the operation to invitation-only Telegram groups, including one called 'Rachel Premium Edition,' with activity concentrated in HCM City and Hà Nội but reaching provinces and cities nationwide.

The ring used self-deleting encrypted chats, cryptocurrency payments and bank accounts registered to other people to cover its tracks, police said.

Suspect Nguyễn Thị Thảo, the alleged ringleader of the prostitution brokering operation, gives a statement to police. — Photo cand.com.vn

Thảo, who ran the groups as 'Rachel,' posted profiles of roughly 50 women and, to drum up interest, claimed that the roster included pageant winners and popular TikTok personalities.

Viewing their profiles required a membership fee of VNĐ500,000 to VNĐ2 million ($19-$76); services themselves ran from VNĐ5 million ($190) for a brief encounter to VNĐ150 million for multi-day tour packages.

Vi Thị Nụ allegedly served as Thảo's top deputy, connecting buyers with sellers.

Police had raided a high-end resort in Hà Tĩnh and caught two couples in the act. Suspects told investigators they'd arranged the transaction through Thảo's Telegram groups, which offered 'tours' from Hà Nội to southern provinces and cities at VNĐ18 million (about $685) per woman per day. — VNS