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More than 90 people arrested for prostitution activities in raids across Singapore

A woman caught in a flat in Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 on 12 January 2018 during a 10-day police clampdown against prostitution. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore
A woman caught in a flat in Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 on 12 January 2018 during a 10-day police clampdown against prostitution. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore

More than 90 people were arrested in a 10-day police clampdown on prostitution in the HDB heartland and other areas.

The police conducted raids at more than 40 locations, including Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Chinatown and Jurong West.

On the final day of the raids on Friday (12 January), the Singapore Police Force allowed the media to enter a three-room HDB flat in Ang Ko Kio Ave 8, which was allegedly being used for vice activities.

Two women aged 30 and 35 were arrested in the flat for prostitution-related offences. Yahoo News Singapore understands the duo are sisters from China on social visit passes, and that they had rented the unit.

The flat was observed to be dimly lit with red plastic bags covering the bedroom lights and the curtains drawn. Sex paraphernalia such as condoms were also found in the unit.

Apart from a sofa set and coffee table in the kitchen area, which served as a makeshift waiting area for customers, the living room was spartanly furnished.

Yahoo News Singapore also understands the women had their individual profiles featured on a website that was offering sexual services in Singapore.

The women were led away by SPF officers to an unmarked police van near the block.

Two women were arrested in a flat in Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 on 12 January 2018 for allegedly being involved in prostitution-related activities. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore
Two women were arrested in a flat in Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 on 12 January 2018 for allegedly being involved in prostitution-related activities. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore

A neighbour on the same floor, who gave her name as Madam Kee, said she did not know the occupants of the raided unit even though she had been living in the block for 30 years. The 84-year-old resident said that she did not notice anything unusual about the women, who lived two doors away from her unit.

In October last year, Yahoo News Singapore reported on brisk business in suspected heartland brothels in Hougang, Choa Chu Kang and Sembawang.

For allowing a rented unit to be used as a brothel, a first-time offender can be jailed up to three years or fined up to $3,000. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, the penalty is a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

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