A woman who is accused of controlling sex workers living in York has had her home taken off her.
Prosecutors have shown that Qingxiang Zhao, from Manchester, brought the property with money she allegedly made through money laundering and the control of the sex workers in both York and Manchester.
Zhao fled to China after firstly being investigated for money laundering in 2018, and then charged in 2020. She remains at large.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the Proceeds of Crime Division was then able to use its civil recovery powers, which allow for assets to be seized and forfeited without a conviction, where it can be shown that they are the proceeds of crime.
The CPS says that "extensive evidence that showed that Zhao was running a sex work business was uncovered" during the initial investigation, which was then used to secure the Recovery Order through the High Court.
Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said: “We aim to robustly pursue criminals for their ill-gotten gains, and we can use our civil powers to do so even where criminal proceedings are not brought.
“Zhao evaded justice when she fled to China, but we were able to use alternative routes to ensure that she does not profit from her criminal enterprises.”
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