On 17 June 2010, a joint operation involving more than 40 officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Tanglin Police was conducted at a budget hotel along Balestier Rd.

Lasting four hours, the operation led to the arrest of 18 female foreigners for immigration offences and offences under the Women’s Charter. Preliminary Police investigations indicated that some of the arrested persons had made use of the Internet to advertise their sexual services. Investigations against those arrested are ongoing and Police are currently tracking down the operators behind the vice activities.

Assistant Director of the Specialised Crime Division, Superintendent of Police Goh Lam Kiong, said, “The Police take a serious view of such syndicates which conduct their illicit businesses over the Internet and will continue our enforcement efforts against such vice activities. We would also like to add that any hotel operator who is found to have knowingly allowed such syndicates to operate in their premises will also be taken to task.”

Under the Regulation 24(1) of the Hotels Licensing Regulations, no licensee of a hotel shall permit any person whom he knows or has reason to believe is a prostitute to occupy a room in the hotel or to frequent the premises. A licensee who is convicted for failing to comply with this provision is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000/-, and for a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000/-. In addition the court may cancel or suspend any certificate of registration and may cancel any licence granted under the Act.

As for persons who live on the earnings of the prostitution of another person, they shall be guilty of an offence under the Women’s Charter, and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000. Any repeat male offender is also liable to caning.