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Popular venues closed in police crackdown
By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-14 07:55
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More than 1,100 people, who allegedly engaged in, organized and facilitated prostitution, were arrested in a one-month crackdown, police said on Thursday.
On April 29, police raided the Wangshihaomen Club in Chaoyang district after plainclothes officers had paid undercover visits during the previous week. The police detained 26 suspects in the massage rooms, and seized sex drugs and account books that recorded the transactions.
One male suspect surnamed Ma, who was one of the managers in the club, told police: "Customers are usually very rich and they pay at least 20,000 yuan for membership and then they will be eligible for the special services. Ordinary customers just have the massage service."
He said the qualified masseusses wore white uniforms and the prostitutes usually wore a red or black dress.
The raid was part of a crackdown initiated by Beijing police on April 11.
The campaign resulted in the closure of 35 entertainment places, including Heaven Earth nightclub, No 8 Club KTV, and Sunworld Dynasty Hotel KTV, which allegedly provided obscene shows and were believed to be shelters for prostitution, Beijing police said at a press conference on Thursday.
The police also closed 256 hair salons and arrested the members of 149 prostitution gangs.
"These entertainment places are usually backed by criminal forces and gangs. Carrying out the clean-up is also conducive to reducing crimes," explained He Angang, the political commissioner from the city's security corps.
He said the 35 entertainment places involved were spread throughout the city: seven in Chaoyang, seven in Haidian district and six in Daxing district.
The police cancelled the business licenses of the six bath centers in Daxing district, and the other 24 entertainment places involved were ordered to suspend their business.
He said they intend to intensify the campaign and plainclothes police officers will continue paying irregular undercover visits to the city's entertainment places and they will pay special attention to owners and managers of such venues.
Moreover, they will also investigate prostitution in rented houses and make the owners of any houses found to be providing prostitution accountable.
