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62 held in crackdown on illicit activities

The Straits Times

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March 09, 2024

Raids targeting entertainment outlets and massage parlours involved multiple agencies

- Andrew Wong

62 held in crackdown on illicit activities

Scantily clad women who tried to flee from an Orchard Road KTV lounge during a raid were arrested as the authorities cracked down on illicit activities at entertainment outlets and massage parlours.

In all, 14 men and 48 women were arrested during the four-day operation from Feb 28 to March 2 and are being investigated, said the police.

The raid on March 2 at the KTV joint in Far East Shopping Centre was led by the Tanglin Police Division and was part of a five-hour blitz from 10pm.

The Straits Times and other media outlets witnessed the operation, which involved more than 30 officers from the Singapore Police Force, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

At the lounge, shoes, bags and a mobile phone were strewn across the floor as the women tried to scramble out during the 11.30 pm raid by plain-clothes officers.

The mostly male patrons were caught by surprise when the lights were suddenly turned on at the usually dimly lit lounge.

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