Police have arrested six women and one man for employment-related offences following raids on various entertainment outlets located along the Beach Road and Tras Street.
Police conducted a series of enforcement checks in entertainment outlets in the area after being tipped that the owners of these centers have employed foreign people without work permits. Employing foreigners without a work permit is a serious offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act of Singapore.
According to reports, the arrested women are believed to be from Vietnam and Taiwan. The women are aged between 19 to 40, while the man is aged 59.
Apart from offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, cases will be lodged against the owners of these entertainment outlets for contravening their licensing conditions.
Even though police and legal authorities are conducting raids all across Singapore to curb the employment of foreign people without permits, the illegal employment racket is still on the prowl, as various entertainment outlets employ foreign nationals without proper papers.
Last year, the law was amended and stricter punishments were enforced to errant public entertainment outlets. Previously, the fine for operating entertainment outlets without a license was S$10,000 and now, it has been raised to S$20,000.
Police, in a statement, said they will continue taking stricter actions against such activities in the future too. During the raid, police also found that several entertainment outlets in Singapore are serving liquours without a proper license.
This is the second time in this month that police have arrested people from massage parlors and entertainment outlets in Singapore. On February 08, 2018, police arrested fourteen women from massage parlors along China Town, Jalan Besar, Serangoon Road and Beach Road. Out of the 14 arrested women, 13 were nabbed for working illegally in Singapore, while one was allegedly accused of providing sexual service in the disguise of massage parlors.
