34 women, 2 men arrested in 2-day anti-vice sweep

A two-day anti-vice blitz in the HDB heartland led to the arrests of 34 women and two men.

The islandwide sting operation, which ended on Wednesday, involved officers from two police divisions and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Raids were carried out simultaneously at places including Woodlands, Sembawang, Sengkang, Jurong West, Yishun, Chinatown and River Valley. The suspects, aged between 21 and 48, were arrested for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities. It is understood that the women are Chinese. The men - believed to be pimps - are also foreigners.

During the operation, boxes of condoms, lubricants, mobile phones, cash, contraband cigarettes and work documents that were believed to be forged were also seized, said the police in a statement yesterday.

According to a report by evening daily Shin Min Daily News, the same brand of condoms was found in the raided units.

The suspects are believed to be from the same prostitution syndicate, the report said. Preliminary investigations also indicated the women had advertised their sexual services online, said the police.

The owners of the homes raided will be investigated and the Housing Board will be alerted to those units, the statement added.

In one raid - at a four-room flat in Sembawang - three men in their 30s believed to be prospective customers were waiting on a sofa, said a report in evening daily Lianhe Wanbao. They were questioned by police before they were allowed to go, the report added.

"Police will spare no effort in clamping down on syndicated vice activities, especially those operating in the heartland," said Superintendent Lawrence Eng, head of the Specialised Crime Branch of CID,

"Police would also like to advise house owners to be diligent in ensuring that their tenants do not carry out illicit vice activities in their units."

This article was first published on July 10, 2015.
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