Only 5 arrested for prostitution activities in the heartlands in the first half of 2012
Published on Feb 04, 2013
Only five women were arrested for prostitution-related activities in heartland areas in the first half of last year, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday. --ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
By Andrea Ong
Only five women were arrested for prostitution-related activities in heartland areas in the first half of last year, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday.
This was just 0.23 per cent of the 2,159 women arrested for prostitution-related activities during the same period, he said in response to a question from Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC). "This shows that prostitution-related activity is not prevalent in the heartlands," said Mr Masagos.
The number of women arrested in the first half of last year was slightly lower than the 2,321 arrests made in the first half of 2011 despite the police conducting more anti-vice operations last year, said Mr Masagos.
However, the police also made 115 arrests of people who abetted in prostitution-related activities in the first half of last year, roughly double the figure from the same period in 2011.
"Police will continue to act against streetwalkers and prostitution syndicates to keep the situation under control and away from the heartlands," said Mr Masagos.
