A 39-year-old former police officer and a Chinese woman, 33, have been charged with people trafficking and controlling prostitution after police raids in Northern Ireland and England.
Appearing separately in the dock of Belfast Magistrates Court, 33-year-old Chen Rong and 39-year-old Simon Dempsey were both charged with two counts that on dates between 20 April and May 18 this year, they intentionally arranged or faciliated the arrival in the UK of another person knowing that "something would be done" which would involve a sexual offence.
Rong, from Crestwood Avenue in Kidderminster, England, and Dempsey, from East Street in Newtownards, were also charged with two counts of controlling prostitution on the same dates "in the expectation of gain for themselves or for a third party".
A PSNI detective told the court he believed he could connect both Rong and Dempsey to the charges.
The charges arise after a PSNI led, UK wide investigation into a Chinese prostitution ring, resulting in numerous raids in Londonderry and Belfast last Thursday when six women, all believed to be Chinese, were rescued.
During a bail application the officer claimed that the rescued women had been duped into coming to Northern Ireland after they answered job advertisements in England.
He told the court that on the police case, Rong pretended to be a woman called 'Helen' and when they arrived in Northern Ireland, "she revealed her true intention and told them they would be involved in prostitution" before allegedly threatening them with violence.
DS Grant claimed Rong was "the controller" whilst Dempsey was akin to an enforcer, telling the court the women's "compliance and involvment in prostitution was gained through the fear instilled in them" by Dempsey.
In objecting to either of them being released on bail, the officer said the alleged victims' continued co-operation with the police investigation was only because they believed they would be hurt by them anymore.
He told the court that police feared both Rong and Dempsey would interfere with "identified and as yet unidentified witnesses" and also that they would flee the country.
In applying for bail, lawyers for the pair each blamed the other for their involvment with Rong's solicitor claiming she herself had been a prostitute before being "used by sinister people" while Dempsey's lawyer claimed Rong had "duped" him and that in fact, he knew nothing about the women being used as prostitutes.
Refusing both bail applications and remanding the pair into custody to appear again vai videolink on 26 June, the magistrate said she shared police concerns relating to the pair fleeing the country and trying to interfere with witnesses.
© UTV News