Wigs help hairless sex workers

TANGERANG: Tangerang Mayor Moch. Thamrin complained on Saturday about the difficulty of stopping prostitution in his town.

He said his administration had conducted raids against prostitutes and shaved off the hair of those netted in the operation, in order to prevent them from working on the streets.

"Even though their hair was shaved off they are still operating on the streets wearing wigs," he said.

Over the past five months, the local public order agency has arrested 185 sex workers and returned them to their hometowns, mostly in Kerawang, Indramayu and Subang, West Java.

Thamrin said his administration had tried to provide the women with training to allow them to find work as tailors or beauticians, but to no avail.

Prostitutes have become a major problem in several ares of the city, particularly along Jl. Merdeka, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Daan Mogot. --Antara