932 arrested in islandwide raids over 7 weeks, 5 massage joints under investigation
A total of 932 people were arrested in multi-agency enforcement operations conducted between May 20 and July 7, said police in a July 10 news release.
Over the course of seven weeks, the island-wide raids were conducted by all seven Police Land Divisions, Traffic Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and supported by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Singapore Customs, and Land Transport Authority (LTA).
More than 4,020 police officers were deployed with over 1,230 operations conducted and more than 14,300 people checked, resulting in 1,401 men and 1,044 women, aged between 15 and 84, being investigated for various offences.
Between May 20 and June 30, officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of CID and the seven Police Land Divisions, as well as ICA, conducted anti-vice raids at multiple locations including Desker Road, Jalan Besar, Balestier Road, Moulmein Road, Bukit Batok,
Geylang, Jalan Sultan, Jurong East, Clementi, Upper Serangoon Road, Yishun and Joo Chiat.
The raids were conducted at various locations, including residential premises such as HDB flats, private condominiums, apartments, hotels; commercial premises such as massage establishments, beauty salons, facial spas, public entertainment outlets; coffeeshops as well as along the streets of Geylang.
Two men and 316 women, aged between 19 and 63, were arrested for various offences. The two men were arrested for allegedly abetting vice activities.
Between June 11 and 25, police conducted enforcement operations against illegal horse-betting activities at multiple locations including King George's Avenue, Jurong East, Jurong West, Ang Mo Kio, New Upper Changi Road, Marine Terrace, Eunos Crescent, Marsiling, Bukit Batok, and Yung Sheng Road.
Sixty men and a woman, aged between 47 and 84, are being investigated for gambling offences. Cash amounting to more than $29,000 and an array of mobile phones and horse betting paraphernalia were seized.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the 61 people arrested were believed to have been involved in various roles such as illegal bookmakers, runners as well as punters.
Between June 6 and July 7, officers from Bedok Police Division, SCDF, ICA, HSA, LTA, Singapore Customs and CNB also conducted a series of joint enforcement operations.
The police raided a location along Geylang Lorong 17 and arrested 22 men, aged between 27 and 54, for their alleged involvement in gambling offences. A 73-year-old woman is also being investigated. Cash amounting to more than $17,610 and other gambling-related paraphernalia were seized.
The police also conducted joint enforcement operations with the HSA and ICA in the vicinity of Geylang, where 10 women, aged between 32 and 50, were arrested for an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
More than 60 e-vaporisers and related components with a total estimated street value of $4,000, were seized.
In addition, close to 15,700 units of unregistered health products, including cough syrup and various sexual enhancement products, and e-vaporiser pods with a total estimated street value of around $30,350 were seized.
Five men, aged between 21 and 62, are being investigated by HSA for offences under the Health Products Act and the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
Officers from LTA also conducted enforcement operations in Geylang, targeting illegally modified personal mobility devices and power-assisted bicycles. Sixteen devices were checked, resulting in four being seized and impounded.
Fire safety non-compliances, which included non-maintenance of fire safety provisions such as fire extinguishers and hose reel, and obstructions to emergency escape routes, were discovered at one public entertainment outlet in Geylang.
Between June 10 and 14, officers from Central Police Division conducted raids involving officers from the CNB, HSA and LTA at multiple locations including Cecil Street, Jalan Besar and Prinsep Street. The operations targeted illegal activities at public entertainment outlets, massage establishments, hotels and gambling hotspots.
Ten premises were found to have contravened various licensing conditions.
Seventeen men and 137 women, aged between 19 and 57, were arrested for offences under the Women's Charter, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Immigration Act.
Eleven men and three women, aged between 48 and 78, were found to have allegedly gambled with unlicensed gambling service provider or at unlawful gambling place and are being investigated for gambling offences.
Five men and six women, aged between 20 and 40, were found to be in possession of e-vaporisers, which is an offence under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
Twelve men and one woman, aged between 21 and 45, were arrested for drug offences.
Two men, aged 18 and 19, were investigated for traffic offences.
On June 16, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division conducted joint operations with officers from LTA in the vicinity of Punggol and six men were found to have breached the regulations and were subsequently issued summons.
The operations also resulted in the seizure of seven non-compliant devices. These included three PMDs, one PAB and three brakeless fixed-gear bicycles, all of which failed to meet safety requirements.
Between June 18 and 21, officers from Tanglin Police Division conducted enforcement checks at massage establishments, hotels, commercial units, an HDB flat and an entertainment outlet in Balestier Road, Selegie Road, Kramat Lane, Bukit Timah Road, Nanson Road, Scotts Road, River Valley Road, Orchard Road, Bishan, Sin Ming, and Toa Payoh.
Nine men and 43 women, aged between 18 and 71, were investigated for offences under the Women's Charter, Gambling Control Act, Penal Code 1871, Protection from Harassment Act and Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Immigration Act.
Cash amounting to more than $3,030, several computers and other gambling-related paraphernalia were seized.
Five massage establishments and a public entertainment outlet are also being investigated.
On July 4, officers from Clementi Police Division conducted a joint enforcement operation with officers from CNB, HSA and Singapore Customs at Penjuru Place in Jurong.
Two men, aged 22 and 27, were arrested by CNB for suspected drug offences.
Another 10 men, aged between 24 and 50, were issued composition sums by Singapore Customs for possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
Also, the Traffic Police checked 66 car-sharing vehicles and two men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested for driving without a licence and without insurance.
Investigations against the 2,445 individuals are ongoing.
