Underground sex bar exposed: 24 Thai women arrested
Taipei law enforcement swooped on an illicit underground bar in the Zhongshan District in Taipei, Taiwan, uncovering a web of illegal activities and arresting 24 Thai women suspected of working as hostesses.
The raid, conducted on Saturday, May 18, resulted in the arrest of the 29 year old bar owner, identified only as Chiang, along with four of his employees and 17 customers. The Taipei Police Precinct revealed the details in a statement on Sunday, shedding light on the clandestine operation.
The Thai women were fined an undisclosed amount under the Social Order Maintenance Act and were swiftly handed over to a National Immigration Agency (NIA) special brigade for repatriation to Thailand. Meanwhile, Chiang and his employees face further investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. The customers were questioned and released.
The Zhongshan Police Precinct launched the investigation following a tip-off about a sex bar operating in the basement of a building on Minsheng E Road. A specialised task force was formed to gather evidence, which revealed that Chiang had recruited Thai women on short-term visitor visas to work as hostesses. These women were expected to drink with and engage intimately with patrons, who tipped them with wristbands that could be converted into cash.
On Saturday morning, the task force, along with the NIA brigade, raided the premises, apprehending all suspects and confiscating over NT$410,000 (approximately 460,000 baht) in revenue, an accounting book, wireless electronic devices, and remote access controls, reported Taipei Times.
Additionally, they seized a marijuana cartridge, a ketamine cigarette, and other incriminating evidence from the employees.
In related news, Thai police made a significant drug bust, intercepting 14.8 kilogrammes of heroin destined for Taiwan. The narcotics were ingeniously concealed within two commercial ice-making machines, set to be transported via an air freight company in Bangkok. The operation unfolded in the wake of a previous case involving a shipment of drugs concealed within robot bases.
