Tag: brothels

Police shut down beauty salon over suspected prostitution

Police on Wednesday night raided a beauty salon located on the third floor of the ‘Kolkatha’ building near the ‘Campus’ store in Male’ as part of an ongoing operation to target businesses and individuals with alleged links to prostitution.

The Maldives Police Service’s Intelligence Department and Serious and Organised Crime Department announced they had conducted the joint special operation after receiving information that prostitution was taking place at the salon.

According to police, two female Bangladesh nationals and a Thai woman were arrested during the raid.  Two male Bangladesh nationals and a Maldivian man were also found inside the salon at the time.

After a search of the salon, officers reported they had discovered MVR 1055 and certain items used to conduct sexual activities, police stated.

The Police Serious and Organised Crime Department is further investigating the case.

Several beauty salons and alternative medical care centres suspected of being involved in prostitution have been closed after the government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan came to power in February.

On Monday (September 12), police raided the ‘Sondo Bon Beauty Care Salon’ upon receiving reports that it had been operating as part of a prostitution ring.

Police raided the salon at 8:00pm and arrested three Thai women and two Maldivian men.  According to police, the Thai nationals were aged 21, 24 and 36, while both Maldivian men arrested were 30 years of age.

Police obtained a search warrant from the court and discovered items used for sexual purposes, as well as MVR 68,000 (US$4415) and US$200 in cash.

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Police arrest staff, landlord of ‘Sondo Bon Beauty Care’ salon on charges of prostitution

Police raided the Sondo Bon Beauty Care Salon on Monday night following reports that a group of people were conducting a prostitution ring inside the salon.

Police raided the salon at 8:00pm on Monday night and arrested three Thai women and two Maldivian men.

According to police, the Thai nationals were aged 21, 24 and 36 and the Maldivian men arrested were aged 30. The landlord was 65 years-old.

Police obtained a search warrant from the court and discovered items used for sexual purposes, as well as MVR 68,000 (US$4415) and US$200 in cash.

Police said it was the second time police had to close the business. According to police, the same business was closed during an operation police conducted on May 2.

Those arrested were brought before the court which extended the detention period of the Thai nationals and the landlord to 15 days. The other men were sentenced to 10 days in custody.

Previously, the Islamic Ministry claimed police had confiscated MVR 63,000 and US$2,640 allegedly obtained through prostitution.

In the most recent salon raided, police discovered materials used for sexual activities, as well as controlled drugs,  US$2000 in forged currency, a large amount of money suspected to have been gained through prostitution, five bottles of unspecified alcohol, and a further three empty bottles.

Shutting down spas and massage parlors doubling as brothels was a key demand of a ‘mega protest’ on December 23 organised by eight political parties and religious NGOs to ‘Defend Islam’ against the allegedly liberal policies of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government.

Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla claimed during the December 23 demonstration that there were over 60 brothels operating in Male’ alone, double the number of mosques in the capital.

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Twelve brothels shut down: Home Ministry

Twelve brothels have been shut down in an operation launched by police after President Mohamed Waheed assumed office in February, the Home Ministry has revealed.

In a press release last week, the Home Ministry expressed concern with the extent of prostitution in the Maldives and the involvement of locals in operating the clandestine enterprises.

The press statement did not however name the establishments that have been raided by police and closed down in recent months.

Efforts were underway to amend the relevant laws to impose harsher punishments on those involved in prostitution and operating brothels, the Home Ministry statement added.

In May this year, the Islamic Ministry announced that it was formulating rules and guidelines for registering and operating alternative medicine centres, spas and beauty salons to prevent the use of such establishments as a front for prostitution.

Shutting down spas and massage parlors doubling as brothels was a key demand of a ‘mega protest’ on December 23 organised by eight political parties and religious NGOs to ‘Defend Islam’ against the allegedly liberal policies of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government.

Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla had claimed during the December 23 demonstration that there were over 60 brothels in the Male’ alone, double the number of mosques in the capital.

Briefing press on the first 100 days of the Waheed administration on May 20, Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed claimed the ministry possessed a list of suspected brothels in inhabited islands, “most of which have already been shut down.”

“There are still suspected places on the list [in operation],” he added.

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