A total of 75 people were arrested in a series of enforcement operations conducted by the police between June 23 and 26 at eight unlicensed massage establishments and eight public entertainment outlets at Orchard Road, Upper Thomson Road, Upper Paya Lebar Road and Balestier Road. The four-day operation saw 66 women and nine men aged between 19 and 51 arrested for various criminal and employment related offences.
Among the litany of spas that offer illegal sexual services in Singapore, the PIs claim that these two massage parlours are the most notorious of the lot. This is primarily because of the number of cheating cases that have led PIs to them, say the two investigators. Also, one of the spas is supposedly the largest "dirty" massage establishment in Singapore, says veteran PI James Loh from International Investigators. This one is very well run and has plus girls, so there are more options for the customer," says Mr Loh, who has visited both places four times each for separate investigations.
He says the two spas have run these services "for quite a number of years", and have so far avoided closure. Says Mr Tan: "They are well known among regulars. For some reason, I have found myself tracking different cheating spouses to these two places more than once. Dhoby Ghaut has become like a discreet red light district for richer people, it seems. Mr Tan reckons that out of every 10 divorce cases he handles, one can be traced to the husband visiting one of the two spas.
The spas are located a block away from each other - one is in Sophia Road and the other is in Prinsep Street. Both opened in TNPS is not naming both spas so as not to add to their reputation but has forwarded their names to the authorities.
Last week, seven massage parlour operators were charged in court with running a massage establishment without a valid licence. TNPS went undercover to these massage parlours over the past two weeks to find out for sure if they offer sex for money. Despite posing as first-time customers, we were escorted to partitioned rooms where customers could be alone with the female masseuses. The session begins like a regular massage treatment, although the term "massage" is used loosely.
