Vietnam exposes 'secret code' in prostitution network run by ex-flight attendant with 200 hostesses

According to an indictment released by city prosecutors, Dinh Thi Thanh Tuyen, 32, and her partner Zhang Lei, 40, allegedly recruited about 200 female hostesses to work at the Tai Nguyen Fortuner II restaurant and permitted sex work under a set of "secret code."

Both have been charged with procuring prostitution, along with five other managers tied to the operation. The case is set for trial in December.

Investigators say the couple took over the restaurant in mid-2022 and managed it together from early 2023. Only customers from mainland China, Malaysia and Taiwan were allowed, and the pair allegedly held frequent meetings with their management team to coordinate how sex services would be arranged.

Hostesses who agreed to sell sex were logged in a special book using uppercase letters, while those who declined were marked in lowercase. Their names were also circulated daily through a Telegram group so managers could steer customers accordingly.

When clients requested sexual services, managers allegedly lined up the hostesses in two rows: one for those willing to sell sex and one for those who were not, before sending selected women to nearby hotels. Prices were fixed at VND4 million (US$152) per session or VND7 million overnight, investigators said.

The operation unraveled on Oct. 17, 2023, when police raided the restaurant and two nearby hotels, catching five hostesses in the act of prostitution. All defendants have admitted their roles, according to the indictment.

Zhang and Tuyen told investigators they allowed prostitution to "attract customers" and boost revenue, but insisted they did not personally take a cut from sex-work transactions.

Authorities say the pair earned roughly VND2.4 billion during their time running the venue, which they claim was fully reinvested into renovations and operations.

Several managers said they had not yet been paid salaries, though some had received tips from customers.