22 women arrested in raids of massage joints, commercial units around S'pore including Orchard

Twenty-two women, aged between 23 and 46, were arrested for offences under the Women’s Charter Act from Feb 28 to 29.

The arrests were made during enforcement operations conducted by officers from Tanglin Police Division conducted against various massage establishments and commercial units located along Balestier Road, Orchard Road, Thomson Road and River Valley Road.

The raids were part of a series of enforcement operations conducted from Feb 28 to March 2, where a total of 14 men and 48 women, aged between 21 and 75, are being investigated for various offences.

Officers from Tanglin Police Division also conducted an enforcement operation against illegal gambling activities in Whampoa on Feb 28 and five men, aged between 65 and 75, were arrested for offences under the Gambling Control Act.

Cash amounting to over $2,300, mobile phones and other gambling-related paraphernalia were seized as case exhibits.

Any individual who conducts betting operations, gaming or lotteries unlawfully, shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $200,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

Any individual who gambles with another person in or from any place or premises in Singapore and knows, or ought reasonably to have known, that the place or premises is an unlawful gambling place shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to six months or both.

More people were arrested on March 1 and 2 when officers from Tanglin Police Division, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) conducted checks at public entertainment outlets located along Orchard Road.

Twelve women, aged between 25 and 35, were arrested for offences under the Women’s Charter. Two men and eight women, aged between 21 and 43, were arrested for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

One of the women arrested for offences under the EFMA and five other women, aged between 23 and 34 were arrested for suspected drug offences.

A 54-year-old man was arrested for offences under the Societies Act and a 58-year-old woman was arrested for offences under the Criminal Procedure Code.

Three of the arrested women and six other men, aged between 26 and 46, were caught with e-vaporisers which is an offence. Sixteen e-vaporisers were seized during the operation.

As officers quizzed a man with an e-vaporiser at a KTV joint in Far East Shopping Centre, one of the other male patrons raised his voice and said: “We are not gangsters. We are ACS boys.”

Officers de-escalated the situation, and the vape user relented and provided his e-mail address, reported The Straits Times.

Fire safety violations were also detected in two public entertainment outlets and SCDF will be following up with enforcement action.

Investigations against the 62 individuals are ongoing.