40 prostitutes detained

JAKARTA (JP): City police detained over 40 suspected prostitutes on Monday, following the arrest of seven alleged drug dealers at a boardinghouse at Jl. Mangga Besar No. 13 in West Jakarta on Monday afternoon.

The suspected prostitutes were sharing the boardinghouse occupied by the suspected drug dealers, city police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Adang Rochana said.

"Police received information from the public that drug transactions and drug parties were often held at the house," Adang said on Monday.

Adang said his officers raided the building and arrested at least seven suspected drug dealers, both male and female, aged between 20 and 45.

Police seized hundreds of ecstasy pills, at least 100 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) and over 100 Viagra pills as evidence from the boardinghouse.

"We also found over 40 girls, whom we have seen soliciting customers outside the Stadium discotheque, staying at the boardinghouse. We have detained them for further questioning."

Adang said the women's pimps managed to escape the arrest.

A police officer who requested anonymity said on Monday that detectives usually worked out a deal with the pimps, better known as "madams".

"They allow the madams to walk away after they pay good money but the girls normally can't afford to because the madams take all their earnings and give them only a small commission for their work," the officer said.

When asked how much a prostitute charged, the officer said one girl, who was beautiful and in her twenties, answered: "Only Rp 100,000 (US$8.80) per hour, and that's cheap." (ylt)