Singapore police have arrested 26 women for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities at several unlicensed massage parlours on Friday. This latest arrest comes during a police raid in seven massage parlours in Jalan Besar, Lavender and Little India.
On Sunday, the authorities said in a media release that the women, aged between 24 and 40, are under investigation for providing sexual services at those places.
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The police added that they would take strict actions against the owners of the parlours for offences under the Massage Establishments Act and the Women's Charter.
In November 2017, the Parliament have imposed harsher penalties against unlicensed massage establishments and since then the authorities have been ramping up efforts to weed out the unlicensed massage parlours in the country.
Under the revised Massage Establishments Act, the penalty for unlicensed operators will be a maximum jail term of two years or a maximum fine of S$10,000 (up from S$1,000), or both. Previously, there was no jail term in the penalty.
The police added that if any person knowingly lives on the earnings of the prostitution of another person can be jailed up to five years and fined up to S$10,000.
Irresponsible landlords will also be taken to task if they knowingly lease their premises to unlicensed operators. People, who are convicted for helping to conduct an illegal public lottery, can be jailed up to five years and can also be fined between S$20,000 and S$200,000.
