Hoang Thu Ha is under police investigation for brokering prostitution

Hanoi police on Tuesday said they have detained a woman accused of heading a prostitution ring that charges customers at least US$100 per go.

Hoang Thu Ha, a 29-year-old graduate of a Hai Phong City University, was first a dancer before she became a prostitute, police said.

After working in prostitution, she eventually formed her own ring, controlling several other local prostitutes.

Customers paid between $100 to VND2 million ($112) for intercourse, or $400-500 to spend the whole night with a girl, according to investigators.

Each girl would have sex with three or four men a day, police said. Ha also worked herself sometimes if customers asked her to, according to police reports.

The ring paid VND500,000 to anyone who brought them a new customer.

Police last Friday arrested Ha with VND4 million she had just collected from two customers at a hotel in Hai Ba Trung District after bringing them two girls.

Investigators also questioned the two girls.

An unidentified member of the ring told police she was once sent by Ha to work overseas.

Figures from the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security in March showed that more than 40,000 prostitutes are working across the country, up 4,000 from five years ago, newswire Vnexpress said.

The same report said that more than 15 percent of the prostitutes were under 18 years of age.

Authorities also said that 16 percent of customers in the cases busted between 2003-2008 were businesspeople and 3 percent state officials.

Reported by Phuong Thanh