SINGAPORE - Eighty-seven people have been hauled up following islandwide enforcement checks on 101 massage establishments between Sept 13 and Oct 23. A total of 31 establishments were found allegedly providing massage services without a valid licence and failing to ensure that employees do not provide sexual services. The police have arrested 46 women. Ten establishments were found to have allegedly breached Covid-19 safe distancing measures by failing to ensure that all persons wear a mask within the licensed premises, and that interactions among staff and customers are minimised. These establishments may be ordered to close for 10 days and fined $1,000 for such breaches. Customers caught not wearing a mask may be fined $300. The police said on Saturday (Nov 6) that they will continue with enforcement checks and advise the public and businesses to take safe management measures seriously. For non-compliance with safe distancing measures under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, those found guilty may be jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both. Those found guilty of providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence can be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to two years, or both. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $20,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both. More on this topic Related Story 99 under probe, with 29 arrested, after police raids on nearly 300 massage, entertainment outlets Related Story 6 women arrested for alleged involvement in sexual services in massage parlours
SINGAPORE - A man was charged on Monday (Sept 20) with operating three unlicensed massage parlours in Brighton Crescent, Hougang Street 21 and Jalan Besar. The Ang Mo Kio and Central Police Divisions conducted a series of enforcement operations between December last year and June this year and found the man to be allegedly operating massage establishments and providing massage services without valid licences. The 58-year-old man is charged with carrying on a business of providing massage services in an establishment without a valid licence under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishment Act 2017. The offence carries a fine of up to $20,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both. The police will notify the landlord when his tenant has been charged in court with operating an unlicensed massage establishment. After the tenant has been convicted, the landlord must make sure the tenant hands over possession of the premises within one month. "The police will take action against landlords who knowingly lease their premises to unlicensed massage establishment operators," said the Singapore Police Force in a statement on Monday. The police highlighted that they take a serious view against any person involved in such illicit business operations and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. More on this topic Related Story 6 people under investigation after police raid massage outlets in Ang Mo Kio, Upper Serangoon Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - Six individuals, including outlet operators, are under investigation following police raids on 10 massage establishments. Six outlets were found to have committed various offences under the Massage Establishments Act, while four outlets were allegedly operating without valid licences, said the police in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 7). Vice-related activities were purportedly detected at two other outlets. The raids, conducted by Ang Mo Kio Police Division, took place between Aug 26 and Sept 2. The massage establishments were located in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Avenue 4, as well as Jalan Selaseh, Simon Road, and Upper Serangoon Road. Those found guilty of running a business providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to five years, or both. People found to have breached the prescribed rules and conditions under the Massage Establishments Act can also be fined up to $5,000, with repeat offenders fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. The police said in the statement that they have been "conducting regular enforcement operations at massage establishments to suppress vice and other illegal activities". "Offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law," the statement added. More on this topic Related Story 9 people investigated after police raid massage establishments Related Story 45 people being investigated after police raids on massage and entertainment outlets
SINGAPORE - The police are investigating 45 people after conducting week-long raids on 42 massage parlours and nine unlicensed entertainment outlets. In a raid on an unlicensed KTV-concept outlet in Chang Charn Road, four women between the ages of 30 and 35 were arrested for working without valid work permits. Eleven persons on the premises are being investigated for alleged breaches of Covid-19 measures. A 40-year-old man has also been arrested for offences under the Public Entertainments Act and Liquor Control Act and for his suspected involvement in the management of this outlet. A total of 17 establishments are believed to have flouted rules under various Acts, such as the Massage Establishments Act and Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020. These include three outlets operating without a valid licence, and one that allegedly failed to ensure all of its customers wore a mask during the massage. Investigations against 29 individuals, comprising operators, masseuses and a customer, are ongoing. According to Section 5(4) of the Massage Establishments Act, those found carrying on a business of providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence shall be fined $10,000, or face imprisonment of up two years, or both. For repeat offenders, this offence can carry a fine of up to 20,000, or imprisonment of up to five years, or both. For non-compliance with safe distancing measures under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, offenders can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both. The offences of supplying liquor without a valid licence and providing public entertainment without a valid licence also carry a fine of up to $20,000 each. The police warn that they are "consistently taking enforcement action at massage establishments and illegal KTVs to suppress vice and other illegal activities". Their statement said: "The police have zero tolerance for irresponsible behaviour relating to the flouting of these measures and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law." More on this topic Related Story KTV lounge linked to Covid-19 cluster fined for flouting licensing conditions in 2019 Related Story 9 people investigated after police raid massage establishments
SINGAPORE - An elderly man continued operating his massage business during the circuit breaker and it was found to offer sexual services. As part of a move to address the Covid-19 outbreak, non-essential businesses such as massage establishments were ordered to be shuttered during the circuit breaker period from April 7 to June 1 last year. Too Seng San, 81, was fined $18,000 on Wednesday (July 21) after he pleaded guilty to operating a business offering massage services without a proper licence. The Singaporean also admitted that he failed to ensure that one of his workers did not offer sexual services at its premises. Two other charges, including one under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act were taken into consideration during sentencing. This was his second conviction for offences linked to massage establishments. In 2019, he was dealt with in court after another business he had operated - Monte Aesthetic in Sims Avenue - was found to offer sexual services. Details about his earlier sentence were not revealed in court documents. At the time of his latest offences, Too was the owner of Tai Kang Yang Sheng TCM Therapy at the ground floor of Block 201, Hougang Street 21. The Singaporean had hired four women - all Chinese nationals - to work as masseuses there. They were between 33 and 42 years old. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh said that a 32-year-old Singaporean man entered the business through its back gate at around 12.15pm on April 17 last year and went to a private massage room. One of the women then massaged him before offering him sexual services for $100. He accepted the offer, the court heard. Police arrived at the business for a check at 12.47pm that day to find the four women and the man there. Officers also found three rooms with draw curtains installed, each containing a massage bed. The DPP told the court Too had an "exempted massage establishment licence" at the time. He added: "A condition of the exempted massage establishment licence was that no rooms, partitions, cubicles or other forms of separation devices that allow massage services to be administered in private and outside the view of other customers in the premises were allowed. "As massages administered in the three massage rooms with draw curtains were conducted in private and outside the view of other customers, the outlet had breached the conditions." For operating a business offering massage services without a proper licence, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $20,000. More on this topic Related Story Woman to be charged over alleged operation of unlicensed massage establishment in Ang Mo Kio Related Story 10 massage outlets and their customers fined for flouting Covid-19 mask rules
SINGAPORE - The police will take action against 25 massage establishments for not ensuring that staff and customers wear masks at all times. And 23 individuals will also be taken to task for not wearing a mask during their massage. This comes as checks at such establishments are stepped up to ensure that safe management measures are followed, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 26). Checks have been carried out at around 850 such establishments in the past two weeks. "Over the past few weeks, several clusters of infection have emerged alongside many unlinked community cases," it said. "These developments have demonstrated the need for continued vigilance in the practice of safe management measures by permitted enterprises like massage establishments, which are allowed to operate during the current Covid-19 pandemic." Depending on the severity of breaches found, massage establishments may be fined between $1,000 and $2,000, while individuals may be fined up to $1,000. Massage establishment operators may also be liable for prosecution under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, and first-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Subsequent offences may incur higher penalties of a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both. Individuals who do not comply with safe distancing measures under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations may also be jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both. More on this topic Related Story Woman not wearing mask at various places arrested, handed more charges including SHN breach Related Story 8 Britons who breached Covid-19 measures on yacht off Lazarus Island banned from working in S’pore
SINGAPORE - An 81-year-old man was on Wednesday (Jan 20) accused of operating an unlicensed massage business during the circuit breaker last year, where a woman working for him allegedly provided sexual services on the premises. As part of a move to address the Covid-19 outbreak, non-essential businesses like massage establishments were ordered to be shuttered during the circuit breaker period from April 7 to June 1 last year. Despite this, Too Seng San is said to have run an unlicensed massage establishment at the Tai Kang Yang Seng TCM Therapy at Block 201 Hougang Street 21 on April 17 last year. According to court documents, the woman working there had allegedly provided sexual services. Too, who was supposed to ensure that she did not perform such acts, had allegedly failed to do so. Separately, the Singaporean man is also accused of operating another unlicensed massage business in 2019. He is said to have operated Kang Le Yang Sheng TCM Therapy at Block 115 Aljunied Avenue 2 on Sept 25 that year. Too is now accused of three offences linked to massage establishments and an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. The pre-trial conference for his case will be held on Feb 9. In an earlier statement, police said they were alerted about the business in Hougang on April 17 last year. Officers later found that Too had allegedly failed to ensure his employee did not provide sexual services. For operating a massage establishment without a licence, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $20,000.