Police release underage girls

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