The allegations are revealed in court documents detailing a sting operated by Canada Border Services Agency CBSA that found Zhang to be operating alongside a number of bawdy houses in the Lower Mainland. Other services came through massage parlours, also in Richmond and around the region. This prompted an investigation, including a visit to Zhang by immigration officials, who found her living at Elmbridge Way, away from her sponsor husband. The two are alleged to have told border officials contradictory stories about their living arrangements.
Zhang was then arrested in August by CBSA in a penthouse apartment at Westminster Highway after allegedly setting up sex services to be performed by herself for an undercover immigration officer. Another bawdy house location, where Zhang is alleged to have made appointments for sex workers, is at Saba Road. Here, Zhang is advertising some of the services she is offering. She said financial considerations were a factor as there was no work in the restaurant industry. The husband claimed to not know about the sex work, although this is disputed by CBSA.
This is not the first time off-street sex work has been found to occur at local massage parlours and in condominiums. She told the News her old business in Vancouver never experienced such a phenomenon. In the early s, a rash of businesses were fined and suspended by the City of Richmond. For instance, in , Water Club, owned by Paul Jin now being investigated by police for money laundering, according to Postmedia reports , used to run its body-rub business from the 11th and 12th floors of the Radisson Hotel on Cambie Road.
Also at this time, Temptations Studio had its license suspended for 30 days following a random inspection by plain-clothed and uniformed police officers. However, the records are heavily redacted.
Many of the places appear to operate in low lighting with blinds drawn and access is only via a locked door with a doorbell. At one inspection, no permits could be produced nor could any employees produce massage service credentials, according to the FOI. Richmond RCMP declined to be interviewed about any ongoing investigations. Read Related Topics.
