Police raid Chinatown massage parlour, arrest woman suspected of offering sexual services

The police had turned up at a massage parlour on the third floor of People's Park Centre to conduct a raid, only to find the door locked.

But when the masseuse refused to open the door, the officers ended up smashing the glass door.

They found a woman and a man inside the parlour. The 58-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly proving sexual services.  

The drama took place on Wednesday (March 20) afternoon, reported Shin Min Daily News.

On Feb 24, the Chinese evening daily had reported that at least one of 20 massage parlours located on that floor of the shopping centre provides sexual services to customers.

A man, who had supposedly been offered the 'special' services by a masseuse, was allegedly told that the authorities had conducted checks the day before, so "it's very safe today''.

Well, it wasn't safe at all on Wednesday. 

When Shin Min arrived at the mall after receiving a reader tip-off about the raid, the parlour was cordoned off. Several police officers were seen collecting evidence while mall security officers maintained order at the scene.

Shards of glass were seen scattered around the parlour's entrance, drawing curious onlookers.

The massage parlour was split into two sections by a blue curtain, with the massage area hidden in the back.

Shin Min said it understood that more than one woman is suspected of providing sexual services at the parlour, but they were not present during the raid.

The operator of the establishment is also under investigation for providing massage services without a valid licence, according to the Chinese paper.

Another woman, who identified herself as the landlord of the shop unit, was said to be in distress over the shattered glass door.

She told Shin Min that the tenant had said they were renting the unit to run a hair salon and did not expect that the space would be used for vice-related purposes.

"They just said they were providing hair services, I never thought that things would turn out this way," she said.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com