Peters & Peters

ESG Enforcement Tracker

Charting the rise of criminal and regulatory enforcement

Investigation into massage parlours results in three arrests for modern slavery offences

Date:
17 October 2025
Relevant legislation/regulation:
Modern Slavery Act 2015; Sexual Offences Act 2003; Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom
Status:
Ongoing
Regulator/enforcement authority:
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
ESG Category:
Social
Defendant(s)/subjects(s):
Khondakar Hasan, Liu Xu and Benjamin Hopkins

Key Facts:

Three people have been charged and appeared in court following their arrests on 15 October 2025 on suspicion of modern slavery and human trafficking offences.

The arrests resulted from an investigation into seven ‘massage parlours’ located across Chippenham, Gloucester, Bury St Edmunds, Reading, Cheltenham, and Ely. The investigation commenced after members of the public raised concerns about two premises in Chippenham.

All three individuals have been charged with the following offences in connection with the investigation:

  • Conspiracy in Human Trafficking (Modern Slavery Act 2015, section 2);
  • Conspiracy to Control Prostitution for Gain (Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 53); and
  • Conspiracy to Transfer Criminal Property (Proceeds of Crime Act, section 327).

Seven women have been offered safeguarding support as a result of the police investigation.

The three individuals appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 17 October 2025 and were remanded in custody.

Sources: 

ROCA press release

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