4 women, 36-46, arrested for vice activities at 2 flats in Bukit Batok & Choa Chu Kang

A total of 1,873 people, comprising 1,257 men and 616 women, aged 15 to 85, are being investigated by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) following a month-long multi-agency enforcement blitz.

The authorities conducted checks on more than 13,200 people in total, and 610 were arrested for various offences.

Conducted from Nov. 16 to Dec. 15, the authorities busted various vice and illegal operations before year-end festivities.

More than 2,600 officers from all seven police land divisions were deployed with over 1,180 operations carried out.

Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Health Sciences Authority (HSA), National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Customs, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) were also involved.

Summary of operations

Raids on massage establishments

A total of 54 men and 140 women, aged between 18 and 72, were arrested during an operation between Nov. 25 and Nov. 30, in various massage establishments, public entertainment outlets, private residences and hotels in the vicinity of Chinatown, Little India, Boat Quay and Bugis.

Five public entertainment outlets were found to have contravened various licensing conditions.

A shophouse in Little India was also raided during the operation, and seven men, aged between 23 and 61, were arrested under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990.

In another operation held between Nov. 20 and Nov. 23, more massage establishments, hotels and public entertainment outlets were raided in the vicinity of Balestier Road, Thomson Road, Robertson Quay, Selegie Road, Orchard Road, Wilkie Road, Whampoa Drive and Beo Crescent.

A total of 25 women and three men, aged between 18 and 85, were arrested for various offences such as working without a valid work pass and illegal gambling.

A 38-year-old woman is also being investigated for offences under the Custom Act 1960 and

Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993, and cash amounting to more than S$4,300, several mobile phones, gambling-related paraphernalia, seven e-vaporiser and four packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized as case exhibits.

Two massage establishments and one public entertainment outlet are also under investigation for breaches under the Massage Establishment Act 2017 and Public Entertainment Act 1958 respectively.

Contraband found

A total of 17 men, aged between 20 to 55, were fined near Jalan Papan on Nov. 22 for the possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

A 38-year-old seller was also arrested, and another 15 men were issued composition fines for the possession of e-vaporisers and smokeless tobacco.

An operation on Nov. 29 resulted in the arrest of a 15-year-old teenager for the possession of a scheduled weapon.

Two PMDs and eight bicycles were impounded by LTA during this operation as they were found to be non-compliant and without mandatory handbrakes.

Raids on illegal gambling venues

A nearly two-week-long operation was held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, clamping down on illegal activities in Geylang, including illegal gambling, vice activities, and illegal touting.

A total of 15 men and 22 women, aged between 22 and 66, are being investigated.

The police also arrested five men and three women, aged between 44 and 70, on Dec. 14 near Yishun Industrial Street 1 for illegal gambling.

The authorities seized cash amounting to over S$15,300, 12 computer terminals, and gambling related paraphernalia.

Anti-drink driving operations

Two anti-drink driving operations were also held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 13.

Amongst a total of 48 vehicles checked, six people failed the breathalyser tests and were arrested.

“The police's month-long anti-crime operation underscores our unwavering commitment to maintaining law and order," said Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan, director of the operations department at the SPF.

"As we enter the festive season, we emphasise that celebration and safety can coexist. For instance, the risks of drink-driving can be easily avoided by choosing alternative transport options or using valet services," he added.

He called upon the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly.

Raid in residential areas

Raids were also carried out at two residential units in Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang.

Four women, aged between 36 and 46, were arrested for remote communication used for offering or facilitating provision of sexual services under the Women’s Charter 1961.

Two were arrested from the unit at Bukit Batok, and the other two were arrested from the unit in Choa Chu Kang.

Upon entering the units, the women were seated near tables with various items such as foreign passports and communication devices laid out before them.

Mothership understands that the women advertised their services through messaging platforms. Potential patrons would accept their offers a few hours ahead of the meeting, and would enter the residential units to engage in vice activities.

The police were alerted to the vice activities through various sources such as police reports, eyewitness accounts and 999 calls.

Items such as condoms, bottles of massage oil, and handwritten records of earnings were seized for investigations.

Lingerie and used condoms were also found in the rooms.

Both units also had hidden security cameras installed outside to monitor activity outside the unit.

The unit in Choa Chu Kang placed the camera inside a shoebox.

The unit in Bukit Batok installed the hidden camera on the wall outside the unit.

The white box, which looked like a doorbell, had a small hole drilled on its side, which contained the camera.

The women could view the footage from inside the unit via television screen.

Top photo via Mothership