CID probe on racket

11 August 2010 08:30 am

By Jamila Najmuddin

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has begun a probe into a massive racket which forces Sri Lankan girls into prostitution in Singapore after they are taken under the pretext of attending dancing concerts in that country.

A suspect believed to be the main facilitator behind the racket has been arrested by the CID and is now in remand, a CID source told Daily Mirror online.

According to the source, a full scale investigation has been launched as they believe several more people are involved in the racket which earns large amounts of money. Investigations began after the Sri Lankan Embassy in Singapore lodged a complaint with the CID informing them of the racket.

Investigations have revealed that the girls are being taken to Singapore to attend and perform in dancing concerts and as soon as they arrive in that country, their passports are taken away by the organizers.

The girls are then sold to brothels and forced into prostitution, CID sources said.

Meanwhile Director CID, SSP Vijaya Amarasingha told Daily Mirror online that the CID had set up a unit where Sri Lankan women who had been forced into prostitution or other illegal activities overseas could lodge their complaints.

SSP Amarasingha said as soon as the complaints had been lodged they would inform the Financial Investigations Unit of the Central Bank and obtain a detailed report about the assets of the recruitment agencies who are involved in the illegal rackets.

“We urge the public to come forward and lodge complaints if they are aware of any such agencies. We also want the women who have been forced into illegal activities overseas to inform us so that we can begin investigations and stop human trafficking,” the SSP said. (Daily Mirror online)