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Owner and manager of unlicensed massage outlet in Tanjong Pagar jailed, fined

Tanjong Pagar Road. (PHOTO: Google Street View)
Tanjong Pagar Road. (PHOTO: Google Street View)

SINGAPORE — The owner of a massage joint and one of his managers were jailed and fined respectively on Tuesday (21 September) over sexual services provided in the outlet.

Tan Tzer Tong, 48, was the registered owner of 5 Star Beauty Centre, which moved from its Serangoon premises to Tanjong Pagar Road after it was raided in 2019. His manager Julie Ma, 46, operated and managed the Tanjong Pagar outlet, and would direct and advise masseuses working there.

Tan was jailed for two weeks while Ma was fined $10,000.

Both are Singaporeans. Tan pleaded guilty to two charges of operating a massage establishment without a licence, with four other similar charges, and one count of failing to ensure his establishment was not used as a brothel, taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Ma pleaded guilty to one count of operating a massage establishment without a licence, with two counts taken into consideration for her sentencing. She also had a charge of managing a brothel taken into consideration for her sentencing. Ma also has a prior conviction under the Massage Establishment Act in 2018.

Masseuse offered sexual services via online ads

The outlet was initially located at 56A Serangoon Garden Way when it was raided by the police on 12 March 2019. The police found a 29-year-old masseuse engaged in sex with a 33-year-old male patron in a room.

The patron had made an appointment with the masseuse via text message after getting her phone number from a website which advertised her sexual services. He arrived at the outlet and was supposed to pay $150 for the services, but was interrupted by the police before the services were complete.

The Serangoon outlet had no valid licence under the Massage Establishment Act 2017.

After the raid, Tan then shifted the premises to 98A Tanjong Pagar Road in May 2019. It also did not have a licence. Ma operated and managed the outlet.

On 19 November 2019, the police checked the premises and seized several used and new condoms and seven mobile phones. Seven women who were in the Tanjong Pagar outlet at the time were also placed under arrest.

The seven phones contained profiles of the seven women linked to online advertisements which offered massage and sexual services at the Tanjong Pagar outlet.

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