TWO alleged brothel keepers are being sought by police today after failing to turn up for a crown court hearing.

Tsz Ling Chan and her partner Shaulong Tong were due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court after being arrested following police raids on alleged vice dens in the town.

The pair are facing charges of money laundering, as well as keeping and managing a brothel.

After their failure to attend the hearing Judge David Goodin issued a warrant for their arrests.

They were originally detained in the summer of last year after police executed search warrants on premises in Firmin Close and Broomwade Close, Ipswich, as well as another property in the town.

When Chan made her first appearance before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court she faced facing eight charges ranging over a 30-month period. The 27-year-old was accused of six counts of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property.

Three alleged offences are reported to have taken place in Ipswich, two in Colchester, and one in Southampton. They were said to have occurred at various times between August 3, 2009, and February 21, this year.

Chan was accused of siphoning various amounts of money totalling £157,420 through accounts at Barclays, HSBC, Halifax and Lloyds TSB banks.

Two of the accusations related to allegations involving co-accused Tong, with the largest single amount being £63,000.

Chan was also charged with assisting in the management of a brothel in Firmin Close between March 18, 2010, and January 17, 2011, as well as another alleged sex parlour in Broomwade Close between December 28, 2011, and March 28, 2012. Tong, also 27, faced three money-laundering allegations and two brothel-keeping charges involving the same two addresses as Chan. In addition to allegedly money-laundering £63,000 and £4,000 with Chan through Barclays bank in Ipswich, Tong was also accused of putting £53,000 from criminal proceeds linked to prostitution through HSBC in Ipswich.

Chan and Tong, both of Channel Way, Ocean Village, Southampton, had been on bail throughout the court process.