29-4-2024 (SINGAPORE) The Singapore Police Force conducted raids on hotels and residential units in the central region of Singapore on April 24th and 25th, resulting in the arrest of 13 women and one man suspected of involvement in prostitution-related activities.
In a statement issued on Sunday (April 28th), authorities revealed that the 14 suspects ranged in age from 22 to 59. The police seized close to $40,000 in cash, mobile phones, and items associated with prostitution, such as condoms.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Central Police Division conducted the raids in the vicinity of Balestier Road, Jalan Besar, Shanghai Road, and Orchard Road. A 59-year-old man is suspected of assisting in the operation of an online prostitution syndicate. He will be charged in court on Monday (April 29th) for allegedly living off the earnings of prostitution and profiting from it, thus contravening the Women’s Charter.
Investigations into the 13 women and the prostitution syndicate are ongoing. Under Singapore’s Women’s Charter, individuals who live off the earnings of prostitution can face imprisonment for up to seven years and fines of up to $100,000. Repeat offenders may be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 10 years and fined up to $150,000.
Furthermore, anyone, regardless of their location within or outside Singapore, who provides or assists in arranging women or girls to engage in sexual services in Singapore through remote communication services, can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and fined up to $100,000, or both.
