Five men - three of whom are Asian students - aged between 17 and 30 appeared in the Auckland District Court today jointly charged with six counts of blackmail which carries a 14-year maximum imprisonment sentence.
The men were arrested last week by Auckland Police and appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday charged with Demanding with Menace. Those charges were withdrawn today and replaced with the more serious Blackmail charge. The accused have been bailed to reappear on December 1.
The charges relate to several incidents at massage parlours and brothels in Auckland between October 28 and November 3 2010, where proprietors and managers - mainly women - say they've been intimidated into paying the accused hundreds of dollars to ensure the safety of their staff and premises.
ENDS
Issued by Noreen Hegarty
Auckland City Police Communications Manager
Ph 09 302 6947 or 0274-951-589
Website: www.police.govt.nz