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| Sydney police free sex captives | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Australian police say they have broken up an international sex-trafficking ring after rescuing 10 South Korean women from Sydney brothels. | Australian police say they have broken up an international sex-trafficking ring after rescuing 10 South Korean women from Sydney brothels. |
| Five people have been arrested and charged with offences including people trafficking and debt bondage. | Five people have been arrested and charged with offences including people trafficking and debt bondage. |
| Police said the women were lured to Australia and forced to work up to 20 hours a day in legal Sydney brothels. | Police said the women were lured to Australia and forced to work up to 20 hours a day in legal Sydney brothels. |
| They had agreed to work in the sex industry, but were deceived about conditions, police said. | They had agreed to work in the sex industry, but were deceived about conditions, police said. |
| "My understanding is that they came to Australia to work in the sex industry, but under more reasonable conditions," Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Tim Morris said. | "My understanding is that they came to Australia to work in the sex industry, but under more reasonable conditions," Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Tim Morris said. |
| 'Vanloads of men' | 'Vanloads of men' |
| Once the women were in Australia, the syndicate took their passports, officials said. | Once the women were in Australia, the syndicate took their passports, officials said. |
| "This is probably the largest alleged syndicate that we have smashed," Immigration Department Assistant Secretary Lyn O'Connell said. | "This is probably the largest alleged syndicate that we have smashed," Immigration Department Assistant Secretary Lyn O'Connell said. |
| The five people arrested include a South Korean woman and a Korean-Australian woman, who police allege is the head of a syndicate that was making $2.8m (£1.4m) annually. | The five people arrested include a South Korean woman and a Korean-Australian woman, who police allege is the head of a syndicate that was making $2.8m (£1.4m) annually. |
| Government prosecutors said the evidence against the five includes six months of intercepted phone calls and Korean-language business documents, Reuters news agency reported. | Government prosecutors said the evidence against the five includes six months of intercepted phone calls and Korean-language business documents, Reuters news agency reported. |
| Prostitution is legal in most of Australia but new slavery laws were introduced in 1999 to prevent vulnerable women being exploited. | Prostitution is legal in most of Australia but new slavery laws were introduced in 1999 to prevent vulnerable women being exploited. |
| A business owner near one of the brothels said it was staffed by Chinese, Japanese and Korean women and was always busy, says the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney. | A business owner near one of the brothels said it was staffed by Chinese, Japanese and Korean women and was always busy, says the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney. |
| At the weekends, vanloads of Asian men would descend on the premises, he says. | At the weekends, vanloads of Asian men would descend on the premises, he says. |