Police release underage girls

Mon, 03 Mar 2003, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

PEKANBARU, Riau: The Riau Police have raided a house in the
Taleju red-light district in Pekanbaru, where nine underage women
were kept locked up and forced to work as prostitutes.

The officers arrested three alleged pimps, identified as Anis,
47, Wastiem, 40, and Rasiti, 38, following the raid on Friday
night. Three teenage girls were released, while the current
whereabouts of the other six girls are still unknown.

Spokesman for the provincial police, Adj. Sr. Comr. S.
Pandiangan, said on Saturday that the three young women had been
brought to the redlight district on Wednesday. They had been sold
to the pimps for Rp 2 million (US$224.7) each.

Pandiangan said the raid followed media reports and accounts
by local people.

Police had combed through the Senapelan market, Arengka trade
center, Tampan district and Jondul housing complex before
eventually finding the girls in the Teleju redlight district.

Pandiangan said the three arrested suspects were believed to
be part of a women-trafficking syndicate. -- Antara

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