33 women, suspected to be 'hostesses', arrested at Geylang coffee shop

On Oct. 7, 2024, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bedok Police Division, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducted an enforcement operation on a commercial premise in the vicinity of Geylang Lorong 29.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) arrested 33 women, aged between 21 and 54, for allegedly managing a place of assignation under Section 147 of the Women’s Charter 1961 and working without a valid work pass under Section 5(2) of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990.

According to the Women’s Charter, a "place of assignation" means any place where communication is established with any woman or girl, either directly or through an intermediary, for any "immoral purpose".

Twenty over officers raided a coffeeshop

The raid on Oct. 7, 2024, began sometime around 9pm and lasted till about 11pm.

When Mothership arrived at the scene at about 9:30pm, officers from ICA, MOM, CID, and the SPF were walking about the various tables at the coffee shop and speaking to patrons.

There were at least twenty officers on the scene, with more arriving later during the raid.

The officers were in plain clothes but could be distinguished by their lanyards.

Despite everything, many customers were still enjoying their meals and drinks.

Some appeared to be curious about what was going on, with some looking at the proceedings nervously, while others seemed unperturbed:

Women suspected to be "coffee shop hostessess"

Many of the women were in the middle of meals and drinks with men at the coffee shop when the police approached them.

Several insisted they were at the coffee shop "just for drinks".

Some covered their faces as police interviewed them:

Others chugged and finished their beers, just before they were taken away by the police:

One of the men calmly poured a beer as a woman at his table was about to be apprehended.

The same woman later had her bag searched:

Many of the women appeared distraught, tearful and confused.

Nine of the women were gathered at one of the tables.

Their passports and phones were seized and placed in plastic bags. Many of them appeared to have Vietnamese passports.

One of the women arrested told police that she was a Chinese national, though she did not have her passport with her during the raid.

The women then had their photos taken by the police for investigations.

Some men at the premises were questioned and interviewed by the police, though no men were arrested during the operation.

At about 10:30pm, several women were escorted by the police off the premises.

Some wiped off tears as they were brought off the scene:

At around 11:30pm, the arrested women were escorted into a sizeable police van:

Illegal gambling too

Other than the 33 women, three other persons, aged between 31 and 59, were allegedly found to have conducted unlawful lotteries.

More than S$140 in cash and betting-related paraphernalia were seized. Investigations against these three persons are ongoing.

A 66-year-old liquor licensee of the commercial premise was also found supplying liquor outside of the licensed premises.

He will be investigated under section 5(1) of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015.

Police will clamp down on unlawful activities in the vicinity

After the raid, Superintendent Lim Hao Jun, head of the Specialised Crime Branch at CID, spoke to the media.

"The police will continue to work with other government agencies to clamp down on unlawful activities in the vicinity. Offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law," Lim said.

Investigations against the 37 persons are ongoing.

Under the Women’s Charter 1961, any person who keeps, manages or assists in the management of a place of assignation, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$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 S$150,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to both.

Any person who works without a valid work pass shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

Under the Gambling Control Act 2022, any person who is found to be involved in the unlawful conduct of lotteries shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$500,000 and shall also be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years.

A licensee of a liquor license who supplies liquor outside the specified premises will be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$10,000.

Top photo by Tharun Suresh.