Jie Zhang, a 42-year-old from West London, has had her prison sentence extended by five years after the case was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP.
Zhang was originally sentenced to three years in prison at Southwark Crown Court on December 19, 2024. However, following a review, the Court of Appeal increased her sentence to eight years on March 7, 2025.
Jie Zhang’s Criminal Activities
Zhang was the leader of a sophisticated organised crime group, known as ‘Cloud 9’, which operated multiple brothels across London between October 2015 and April 2020.
She was found guilty of:
- Conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person within the UK for exploitation
- Conspiracy to control prostitution for gain
- Four counts of possessing criminal property
- Transferring criminal property
- Removing criminal property from England and Wales
- Converting criminal property
How Zhang Ran the Crime Network
- Recruitment of sex workers: Zhang targeted women from East Asia and Europe, bringing them to the UK to work in brothels.
- Management of brothels: She controlled the locations, operations, and advertising of the illegal businesses.
- Money laundering:
- She used criminal proceeds from prostitution to pay rent for the brothels, totaling over £450,000.
- She set up a fake company and falsely reported £530,000 in turnover, allowing her to transfer £180,000 into her own accounts.
- She laundered money through family bank accounts in China, converting £1.48 million into Chinese Yuan and bringing it back as a ‘gift’.
Government Response to the Case
Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP strongly condemned Zhang’s actions, stating:
“This offender was the leader of a sophisticated prostitution ring. Innocent women and girls were exploited, and the proceeds of crime were used to line the ringleader’s own pocket.
The court has quite rightly more than doubled this offender’s sentence, and this case should serve as a strong warning that this government will use all tools at our disposal to protect women and girls from any form of abuse.”
Why Was Zhang’s Sentence Increased?
- Zhang’s original three-year sentence was deemed too lenient given the serious nature of her crimes.
- The case was reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, which allows prosecutors to challenge insufficient sentences for serious offences.
- The Court of Appeal ruled in favor of extending her sentence to ensure justice for the victims and stronger deterrence against human trafficking and exploitation.
Jie Zhang’s sentence increase to eight years reflects the seriousness of her crimes, including human trafficking, prostitution control, and money laundering. The UK government continues to take a strong stance against criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals.
This case also highlights the importance of the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme in ensuring that serious offenders receive appropriate punishment.
