Young prostitutes netted in discotheque
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)