Young prostitutes netted in discotheque
JAKARTA (JP): City police have arrested the operators and staff in the raid of a discotheque and massage parlor in West Jakarta along with a number of 14-year-old masseuses believed to give sexual favors to their customers.
The raid is part of the city's police operation against discotheques and massage parlors strongly believed to have changed the formal status of their businesses into brothels.
"We will continue our operations against these (camouflaged) businesses in order to stop them from growing and becoming an organized crime group," City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told reporters yesterday.
Newly-installed City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko said Tuesday's raid in the Lokasari red-light district was conducted against the Today Country discotheque and massage parlor on Jl. Mangga Besar Raya No. 81, at 7:30 p.m.
"However, we have yet to find the owner, identified only as SJ," Bambang said yesterday.
During the raid, police arrested the entertainment center's manager, his assistant SD, panderer SW and cashier CN, seven waitresses, eight masseuses who were serving customers and nine other employees, Bambang said.
Some of the customers were also arrested.
Bambang said the eight massage girls, aged between 14 and 25 years, were discovered with their customers in special rooms by police personnel. "Some of them were found naked with customers," he said.
As well as a Rp 100,000 (US$45.80) rate for "all-in service", which includes erotic massage and sexual favors, each customer is charged Rp 25,000 per hour for rental of the room.
Another parlor
On Monday evening city police carried out a raid at a brothel, similarly camouflaged as a discotheque, in the same area. During the raid at the Atlanta discotheque and massage parlor, the police arrested five female panderers, two of Atlanta's executives, two customers and 11 prostitutes acting as masseuses.
Based on preliminary investigations, the service fees were similar to those set by the operator of the Today Country discotheque.
The manager of the four-story brothel, identified as IA, admitted that the income of the business could reach Rp 25 million per day. The building is rented by IA for Rp 50 million per year.
Besides raiding the two camouflaged brothels, police picked up 50 street walkers from many areas in North Jakarta in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police strongly believe there are still hundreds of similar massage parlors and thousands of prostitutes still operating in and around the city.
Juvenile prostitutes
Hindarto said his office will take harsh measures against panderers who employ juvenile prostitutes.
There is no data available on the estimated number of juvenile prostitutes.
Bambang said the detained juvenile prostitutes might be handed over to related government agencies which will help them develop skills for other businesses.
If no stern action is taken against the operators, they will grow to become an organized crime group, which -- in collusion with crooked officials -- will only spread terror to the city's residents, Hindarto said.
"Real organized crime has yet to be found in the city, but we have uncovered a growing number of people and gangs who commit crimes using modus operandis similar to those adopted by foreign organized crime syndicates," he said recently.
Hindarto said these people mostly run their businesses illegally, ranging from gambling, prostitution, extortion and drug dealing camouflaged as legitimate businesses.
"There's no place for them in the city and we have to take immediate action to stop these people before the situation escalates," the two-star general said. (bsr)