The Police have arrested 111 women, aged between 20 and 50, and a 58-year-old man for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities.
Between 8 March to 30 April 2022, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the seven Police Land Divisions conducted coordinated raids at multiple locations island-wide, including condominiums, massage establishments, hotels and residential units. Some of the women arrested during this operation were believed to have advertised their sexual services online. Areas covered during this island-wide operation include premises at Balestier Road, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Geylang, Jalan Besar, Lavender Street, Lorong Kilat, Sembawang Road, Upper Paya Lebar Road, Upper Serangoon and Yishun.
The Police will spare no effort to clampdown on vice activities in Singapore and take enforcement against perpetrators, including those operating elusively online.
Under the Women’s Charter 1961, any person who, in the course of business, uses a remote communication service with a Singapore link to offer or facilitate the provision by a woman or girl to another person of sexual services in Singapore in return for payment or reward, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both. Where the person is a repeat offender, he will be liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding $150,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to both.
All property owners have a responsibility to ensure that such illicit activities do not take place in their properties. They should exercise vigilance and look out for suspicious or dubious tenants. This includes verifying the identity of a prospective tenant and his/her purpose of tenancy, before entering into a tenancy agreement or allowing the prospective tenant to start occupying the apartment. This can be done by:
- Personally inspecting the prospective tenant’s documents of identity; and
- Having a face-to-face interview with them.
Additionally, under HDB’s terms and conditions, HDB flat owners are responsible for conducting regular checks to ensure that their tenants do not misuse the flat, further rent out any part of the flat, or create nuisance to their neighbours by using the flat for vice activities. HDB takes a serious view of flat owners and tenants who violate such conditions, particularly if the flat is misused for vice activities, and will not hesitate to take the appropriate action against them.
Tenants who sublet their private property should adopt similar checks before they sublet the property as well. A flat owner or the agent of an owner of a place who knowingly rents the premises to any person for vice-related activities can be prosecuted under the Women’s Charter and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both; and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $150,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to both.
The Police will continue to work with members of the public on information submitted on vice activities and will take tough enforcement action against those involved in such activities.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
13 May 2022 @ 9:55 PM