More properties targeted after raid on brothel

Private Investigator Gary Howarth leaves a house in Glenfield, Auckland, which was being used as a brothel. Picture / Fotopress

An Auckland council is investigating eight other residential properties after using a new bylaw for the first time to close down an unlicensed brothel.

North Shore City Council officers yesterday raided a four-bedroom Glenfield house, which had been the subject of complaints by neighbours for 18 months.

Environmental protection team leader Warwick Robertson today said the council was also targeting a number of other properties in the area.

"There's seven to nine, around that number," he said. "Some more regularly come to our attention than others. We started off with the one that probably had the most traffic."

Mr Robertson said a suggestion that there was a possible connection to organised crime was supposition at this stage.

He said it did appear that only Chinese-speaking people were involved and some of the workers moved between the various addresses.

"As to how organised it is -- whether it's some enterprising ladies getting together or whether it's more sinister -- I really don't know," he said.

"Other departments like immigration and police will be making their inquiries."

North Shore council is believed to be the first local authority to enforce a bylaw controlling brothels since the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act decriminalised prostitution.

Among its restrictions are that brothels cannot be within 250m of residential zones or 125m of schools and churches.

Mr Robertson described the raided property as "a very busy establishment" in a residential area.

"We had eight working girls on the property, plus the principal, plus two clients, and two left just as we arrived," he said.

"It was 2pm on a Wednesday and the phone was ringing non-stop while we were there. The girls' cellphones were also ringing non-stop."

Mr Robertson said police, health, immigration and inland revenue officers were also involved in the case.

He said more than $10,000 was seized from the house and a "very conservative" estimate was the establishment's turnover was more than $500,000 a year.

The issue of charges were being discussed with the council's legal advisor.

Mr Robertson said the property originally had a licence to operate as a Chinese health massage clinic.

The licence ran out earlier this year and was not renewed "because evidence was coming out in that they were not operating as a health clinic".

He said whether other councils followed North Shore's suit would depend on community pressure.

"It's not a moral judging exercise," he said. "People have a right to privacy and not be disturbed by these establishments."

- NZPA