Google translate: Under the guise of TCM, a Jurong East neighborhood TCM clinic was raided by the police for allegedly providing prostitution services. Four nearby TCM clinics and a massage parlor were also raided, and eight women were arrested.
The Singapore Police Force issued a statement on Friday (December 13) to explain the two recent raids, in which 35 people aged between 25 and 58 were arrested for prostitution activities.
From November 12 to December 3, Clementi Police Station, Criminal Investigation Department and Housing and Development Board raided a massage parlor and five shops operating under the name of TCM and providing massage services at Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong East Street 31.
Eight women aged between 34 and 49 were arrested by the police for allegedly providing sexual services in TCM clinics or massage parlors. A 58-year-old man was arrested for allegedly violating the Women's Charter for managing one of the venues as instructed.
Preliminary investigations found that one of the five TCM clinics was not registered as a place of practice by any TCM practitioner. The massage parlors raided by the police did not hold valid licenses and displayed fake TCM practitioners' certificates and certificates of retaining previous operators in the store, which did not meet the standards. The police are investigating the operators of these six shops.
Police and Immigration Department raided Geylang Hotel 26 people arrested for prostitution
On December 6, the Criminal Investigation Department, Bedok Police Station and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority also launched another operation to raid a hotel in Geylang Lane 12. 26 people aged between 25 and 29 were arrested by the police for prostitution activities. A 42-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly assisting the operation of a prostitution gang and violating the Women's Charter.
The police investigation is still ongoing.
According to the Massage Parlor (Exemption) Order, places where registered Chinese medicine practitioners are responsible for massage therapy and hold valid Chinese medicine practitioners' certificates are not subject to the relevant provisions of the Massage Parlor Act. However, if the Chinese medicine practitioner does not perform the massage himself and other non-practitioners perform it on his behalf, the Chinese medicine practitioner must notify the police that he is operating an open massage venue or applying for a massage parlor license.
Lianhe Zaobao is seeking more details from the Singapore Chinese Medicine Council.