Join us on a high-stakes anti-vice raid at Little India with officers from the Central Police Division!
By: Domnic Dass
On the evening of 30 November 2024, Police Life followed Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers from Central Police Division on an anti-vice raid in the vicinity of Little India.
The Hit in Plain Sight
As the sun sets, weekend shoppers and diners thronged the streets of Little India. The ground team, comprising SPF officers from the Central Police Division, moved swiftly and with practised precision through the crowded streets. Their arrival barely caused a ripple in the sea of pedestrians, ensuring the element of surprise crucial to the operation’s success.
Within seconds, the SPF officers raided the targeted shophouse, breaching locked doors and swiftly securing all suspects.
Simultaneously, a team from the Home Team Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unit (HT UAV) had secured a covert vantage point on a nearby rooftop. They deployed a drone that was specifically chosen for this operation due to its compact size, reduced visibility and minimal audible noise.
Equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, the drone took to the sky moments before the ground team’s approach. This aerial support provided real-time intelligence, monitoring potential escape routes and tracking movement on the shophouse’s roof and surrounding areas.
Hidden Reality: A Glimpse Inside the Shophouse
Following the raiding team, we stepped into a world that seemed frozen in surprise. The operation had caught the occupants completely off-guard – evidence of hasty attempts to flee lay scattered about.
The shophouse was bathed in an eerie pink light that cast an unsettling glow over the living room. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I noticed a stark contrast – sexual awareness posters plastered around all the walls, their bright colours and bold fonts seeming out of place in this setting.
Several individuals under suspicion of providing sexual services sat on chairs as SPF officers stood guard, their watchful eyes fixed on them. The gravity of the moment was palpable as other officers conducted a search of the rooms.
The rear of the property had been converted into a maze of small rooms constructed from drywall, accessed through a narrow passageway lined with numbered doors. They were cleverly concealed behind a small section of the shophouse, creating a compact and clandestine layout.
The heat – challenging. The humidity – unforgiving.
Each room contained a bed and minimal facilities, including a small wash area, shedding light on the suspected illegal sexual services that took place there.
At the back of the first floor, a flight of stairs leads us to the second level, where we found the another set of makeshift drywall rooms.
Beds, cabinets and cherished photos adorned the walls, alongside religious artefacts and air conditioners that offered a respite from the unforgiving heat in the confined space.
Safeguarding Our Neighbourhoods: A Joint Effort
The anti-vice raid conducted at Little India saw a total of seven men, aged 23 to 61, arrested by the Police for contravening the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990. The raid was part of a six-day enforcement operation that took place from 25 to 30 November 2024. Led by Central Police Division, the operation involved a joint effort between the Criminal Investigation Department, Traffic Police, Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Civil Defence Force. The operation resulted in the arrest of 54 men and 140 women, aged 18 to 72, with a total of 198 individuals under investigation.
The joint operation targeted illicit activities at various locations, including massage establishments, public entertainment outlets, private residences and hotels in Chinatown, Little India, Boat Quay and Bugis. Offences investigated include working without a valid permit, drug-related crimes, weapon possession and Women’s Charter violations.
Speaking after the operation, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Wong Keng Hoe, the Commander of Central Police Division, said, “Any unlawful activities will be dealt with sternly. Police will continue to use technology and work closely with other agencies to conduct enforcement operations and bring those who have committed unlawful activities to justice.”
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