16 women and 5 men arrested for vice, employment and gaming offences

Sixteen women and five men have been arrested for vice, employment and gaming offences during a police raid.

The raid took place at entertainment outlets and massage parlours along Temasek Boulevard, Jalan Besar, Syed Alwi Road and South Bridge Road on Thursday (15 March), the Singapore Police Force said in a statement on Friday.

Five women were arrested for allegedly providing sexual services in a hotel and a residential unit. Eleven women were arrested in relation to illegal employment of foreign workers.

One man was arrested for operating “a place of assignation”, or a place used to communicate with any woman or girl for vice-related activities. Four men were arrested for public gambling.

Anyone who is convicted of operating an illegal brothel faces up to five years’ jail or a maximum fine of $10,000 or both.

A person who manages a place of assignation can be jailed up to three years or fined a maximum $3,000 or both. For a subsequent offence, the person can be jailed up to five years or fined a maximum $10,000 or both.

For illegal gambling, an offender faces a jail term of up to six months or a maximum $5,000 fine or both.