Singapore's Central Police Division launched a three-day operation and arrested 36 people for their alleged involvement with drug-related offences, gambling and sexual services.
The authority started the operation on Wednesday, March 7 to Friday, March 9. In a recently published statement, police said that the operation happened in a place called Little India, located at the east of the Singapore River, including several other areas such as Jalan Besar, Chinatown and Tiong Bahru.
Police arrested 18 women for escort services in hotels as well as in apartments. Reports claimed that these people were staying in the south-east Asian country on employment passes or short-term visit passes.
Other 9 female and 9 men were detained by the police for gambling and drug-related offences, which are considered as the criminal offence in Singapore.
During the operation, police seized a total of $1,438. The further investigation is under process.
However, even though prostitution is legal in Singapore, street solicitation and pimping are considered as an illegal offence. A pimp can face a jail sentence for up to 5 years, with a fine up to $10,000.
Singapore's Betting Act stated that the maximum punishment for the convict of a gambling case is $200,000 fine and five years' jail.
But gambling could be classified into 3 categories to understand when it can transfer into illegal activity and those are:
- Gaming, which generally refers to games of chance and skill. An example would be "Dai Di", the card game also known as Big Two.
- Lotteries such as 4D or the Singapore Sweep
- Betting, which can include wagering on football matches or horse races.
The operation of gambling dens is illegal. It is also illegal to the game in public and acts are prohibited by the Common Gaming Houses Act. But the legalised casinos in Singapore are exempt from these laws.
When it comes to drug-related offences, according to Misuse of Drugs Act, if a person found guilty for importing, exporting or found in possession of more than legally measured quantities of drugs, has to face the death sentence, as it is considered as the Capital Punishment in Singapore.
