Human trafficker pays back just £1 dirty cash after running sordid Glasgow prostitution ring
A human trafficker who was involved in the operation of brothels from flats in Glasgow today agreed to hand over the nominal sum of pounds one to settle a proceeds of crime action brought against her.
Donglin Zhang, 51, was jailed for eight years in 2022 for her role in a crime gang intent on exploiting women for prostitution.
Following her conviction for trafficking and brothel keeping offences the Crown raised proceedings against her to seize crime profits.
Zhang's counsel Paul Keenan told judge Lord Ericht during a brief hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh that a settlement in the action has now been reached.
Mr Keenan said it was agreed that Zhang's benefit from general criminal conduct was £144,373.75 but the amount available for confiscation was nil.
Advocate depute Alexander Sutherland asked the court to make a nominal confiscation order in the sum of pounds one against Zhang, who followed proceedings with the aid of an interpreter.
The Crown can return to court to seek more if assets are discovered in future under such a settlement.
Zhang, formerly of Leithland Road, Glasgow, was referred to in evidence during her earlier trial as "the female boss".
She was involved in trafficking a young woman from China who arrived in the UK in September 2018 with the promise of employment. Her passport was taken from her and within weeks the woman, who could only communicate in the Mandarin language, was coerced into prostitution.
Zhang told her that if she refused the sex work she would never get back to China. She worked as a prostitute almost daily from October 2018 until January the following year.
Judge Douglas Brown, who earlier sentenced Zhang and three co-accused, told them: "All four of you were convicted after trial or pled guilty to the crime of human trafficking with a view to women being exploited for prostitution. This crime involves the deliberate degrading of fellow human beings."
"It is a dehumanising experience for the victim in that she is deprived of the ability to act in her own interests and is valued not as a person but merely as a potential source of profit," he said.
The judge told Zhang: "You were frequently referred to in evidence as the female boss and it was clear that you played a leading role in the criminal activity."
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