HARCOURTS BOX HILL - DENNIS SHI - BAOER SHI – SORDID HISTORY OF TOPE STREET, SOUTH MELBOURNE BROTHEL SCANDALS Melbourne man, Dennis Shi (born as Baoer Shi) is a high flying real estate agent in the Chinese community of Box Hill, working for Harcourts real estate agency. However, unknown to his peers and work colleagues is the double life that he once lived. Before going into the real estate industry, Dennis Shi was intricately involved in the brothel industry, managing both the notorious “Tope’s Treasures – 39 Tope Street” and “Top on Tope – 43 Tope Street”, South Melbourne, around the time of 2008-2014. Top on Tope & Tope’s Treasures were involved in trafficking girls from South Korea who got caught up in debt bondage schemes. Basically, huge sums of money were loaned to these girls and in return they would enter into a debt repayment arrangement, that involved being transported around the world to work in parlours (at times up to 16 hours a day!) until the loan and interest were repaid. One of the conditions of such an arrangement, included forfeiting and withholding their passports which is considered slavery under Federal Law. Over the years, Dennis Shi (and his identical twin brother Bill Shi) would rise through the ranks to become Xing Jin’s right hand men. They were at one stage very close and trusted associates and confidante. With their higher standing and greater insight into the brothel industry, Dennis Shi & Bill Shi tried to lure the working girls away from Tope Street to a rival parlour – Madam Leona - at 59 York Street, South Melbourne brothel – based on secret commission arrangements, all cash transactions. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/five-charged-on-brothel-earnings-201307032pbma.html http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-arrest-brothel-syndicate-members-in-raidsacross-city-20130702-2pa5e.html Madam Leona was managed by Lin Gao and “Kevin” De Jun Zheng of 59 York Street South Melbourne brothel. http://www.smh.com.au/national/never-a-game-20111010-1lhgs.html https://www.smh.com.au/national/legal-brothels-linked-to-international-sex-traffickingrings-20111009-1lfxs.html