The four defendants were caught following police raids

It followed surveillance operations by police at brothels at Wayside, Penmaenmawr, Castle Gates at Rhuddlan and Llewellyn Road in Colwyn Bay.

Kenneth Baker, 56 of Cemaes Bay, Ivor John Griffiths, 51, of Llandegai, Wah Lam, 43, of Middlesex, were jailed.

Stacey Marie Taylor, 24, of Holywell, was given a supervision order.

Raids took place as part of Operation Pentameter, a worldwide police operation cracking down on people trafficking and sex slavery.

It was stressed in court that the case did not involve such criminality, but the judge said that brothels did exploit women, many of whom were vulnerable.

Baker, who runs a small farm and an engineering business, was described as the organiser behind two of the brothels at Penmaenmawr and Rhuddlan, and was jailed for 18 months.

Those who believe that little harm is done by that type of enterprise overlook the widespread exploitation of women

Judge Merfyn Hughes

Griffiths, said to be his paid assistant who took over the running of the Rhuddlan brothel, received ten months.

Both admitted being involved in the running of brothels at Penmaenmawr and Rhuddlan.

Malaysian national Lam, whose student visa has run out and who is now expected to be deported, admitted being involved in the running of the Penmaenmawr brothel and then a second by herself at Colwyn Bay. She was jailed for 12 months.

Exploitation

Taylor, the receptionist at Penmaenmawr, admitted one charge of running a brothel and was given supervision for 18 months.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said: "Those who believe that little harm is done by that type of enterprise overlook the widespread exploitation of women, many of them vulnerable by reason of their status in the community."

North Wales Police will continue to protect all its communities and visitors whether they are born here or not

Det Con John Russell

Some of the women who worked in the brothels were not permanent residents of the UK and were brought to north Wales to carry out activities for the profit of the defendants.

It was claimed that Baker had earned about £10,000, although there was no suggestion of any connection with organised crime.

Griffiths was Baker's paid assistant and followed his instructions.

Protect

Lam - who claimed she was in a relationship with Baker - was involved in the day-to-day management of the Penmaenmawr premises and then set up on her own at Colwyn Bay, the judge said.

She placed adverts in Chinese language newspapers in London to recruit women to work in north Wales.

Owen Edwards, prosecuting, said police officers who were sent in were offered sex for money.

Officers were told that the full range of sexual activity was available although they were advertised as massage parlours.

Following the sentencing, Det Con John Russell, said: "North Wales Police will continue to protect all its communities and visitors whether they are born here or not."