8 women arrested for allegedly offering sexual services at TCM and massage outlets in Jurong
Thirty-five people, aged between 25 and 58, were arrested for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities.
Officers from Clementi Police Division, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) raided one massage establishment, and five other outlets believed to be operating as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) outlets and providing massage services, along Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong East Street 31.
Eight women, aged between 34 and 49, were arrested for allegedly providing sexual services at TCM outlets and a massage establishment.
A 58-year-old man was arrested for managing a place of assignation under Section 147 of the Women's Charter 1961.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the five TCM outlets was not registered as a place of practice by any TCM practitioner.
In addition, the massage establishment did not have a valid licence and was found to have displayed an invalid TCM practising certificate and registration certificate which belonged to a business that was previously occupying the unit.
The operators of the six outlets are under police investigation for providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishments Act 2017.
In a separate operation on Dec 6, officers from CID, Bedok Police Division, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority conducted a raid at a hotel at Geylang Lorong 12, resulting in the arrest of 26 people, aged between 25 and 29, for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities.
A 42-year-old woman who allegedly facilitated the operations of syndicated vice activities was arrested under the Women's Charter 1961.
Investigations against her and the other people arrested are ongoing.
The police said they will continue to take tough enforcement actions against those involved in vice activities.
Under the Women's Charter 1961, any person who knowingly solicits, receives or agrees to receive any gratification as an inducement or reward for providing any service, and who by providing that service does or will aid the prostitution of another person (being a woman or girl), can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to $100,000.
Any person who keeps, manages or assists in the management of a place of assignation, can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000.
Individuals found guilty of carrying on a business of providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishments Act 2017 can be fined up to $10,000, or face up to two years' jail, or both.
Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, or given up to five years' jail, or both.
Under the Massage Establishments (Exemption) Order 2018, any premises used for the treatment of individuals seeking massage administered by an individual who is registered under Section 14 of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act 2000 and has in force a practising certificate issued under section 17 of that Act are exempted from the provisions of the Massage Establishments Act.
However, if the TCM practitioner does not personally administer the massage but the premises engages other non-TCM practitioner(s) to administer the massage, he must either notify the police that he is operating an open-concept massage establishment or apply for a licence to operate a massage establishment from the police.
Individuals found guilty of working without a valid work pass under Section 5(2) of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 can be fined up to $20,000, jailed up to two years, or both.
