China national, 47, allegedly booked hotel rooms in MBS & set up inflatable beds for 2 women to aid sex work

A 47-year-old man went on trial on May 4 for aiding in the prostitution of two women.

According to charge sheets, the man, identified as Zhang Kai, a Chinese national, is charged with helping the two women book hotel rooms and set up inflatable beds in exchange for S$1,050 each.

Wanted to distance himself

The offences were committed between late February 2025 and early March 2025.

A syndicate was apparently involved.

Prosecutors alleged that Zhang suspected the women were in Singapore for sex work.

He apparently deleted the WeChat app from his phone after not hearing from his accomplice, identified as Goh Boon Hong, a 25-year-old Malaysian national.

Goh was sentenced to a year’s jail and fined S$4,000 in July 2025.

Vice operation

According to CNA, one of the police officers who testified for the prosecution said he was tasked with conducting a “test call” on a suspected vice syndicate called Fanza SG on Mar. 5, 2025.

The phone number was apparently provided in an advertisement by the syndicate.

It stated “soapland services” at certain prices.

According to Tan, when prompted by the prosecutor to explain “soapland services”, it involves the vice worker providing massages with “some soap item”, using their body on the customer before proceeding to sexual service.

The operation was aimed at apprehending the people controlling the syndicate.

Tan was instructed to wait at Tower 1 at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) for the room number.

Before the operation, the police received information that Goh was one of the members in control of the syndicate and would be arriving in Singapore on Mar. 7, 2025, at Changi Airport.

Police followed Goh

After he was arrested, he gave information on the whereabouts of the sex workers.

Using the information given, Tan headed up to the 27th floor and conducted a raid on one of the sex workers.

According to CNA, Tan and his team knocked on the hotel room door and identified themselves as police before getting a security guard to open the door. He said the police found a "Japanese woman" in the room, whom they communicated with through Google Translate.

Tan claimed that there was a makeshift inflatable bed on top of the bathtub in the toilet, condoms and lubricant near the bed and some money in a drawer.

The police had also apparently received information that Zhang allegedly booked one of the hotel rooms during the operation.

When police confirmed Zhang was at the casino, they moved in and found Zhang in a room with casino staff.

The police later arrested him.

According to Zhang, who was unrepresented, the casino security officers took him into the room, not police officers.

He claimed that deleting the chat was not an obstruction of justice, as he was unaware that the police officers were coming in.

If convicted of knowingly receiving gratification for providing a service that aids in sex work, Zhang could face a jail term of up to seven years and be fined up to S$100,000.

For obstructing justice, an offender can face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.