Police yesterday cautioned dance enthusiasts who may be invited for bogus dance competitions in Singapore and eventually lured into prostitution.
A senior official of the Criminal Investigation Department told the Sunday Times that the warning followed after detection of a racket where Sri Lankan girls were taken to Singapore to reportedly take part in a dance competition and forced to work in brothels.
At least four of the victims aged between 21 and 24, returned to the country last week and disclosed details about the racket.
One of the victims from the Southern Province told the CID that she left her home after a dispute with her family and found work in a garment factory in Katunayake.
“I used to visit a communication centre close to my boarding, after being introduced to the place by one of my colleagues. The man there told me that if I could find Rs. 150,000 I could take part in a dance competition in Singapore and earn a lot of money within a month,” she told the CID.
She had been taken overseas by the man who made her the offer and taken to a hostel where she was introduced to a woman, the CID official said. “She had been locked up in a room after her passport was taken away from her. Thereafter she was told to work as a prostitute to earn money. She had refused during the first month, but had been assaulted and forced to work as a prostitute,” he said.
She had been paid 50 Singapore dollars, according to the statement given to the CID.
The CID official said that according to the statement made there were other Sri Lankans who were engaged in the same profession after being initially offered to take part in dancing competitions.
The four girls had escaped from the hostel and reported to the Sri Lankan mission in Singapore and had been able to return to the country.
In this connection, a man who has identified himself as a teledrama director together with his accomplice have been arrested and are currently in remand custody.
The CID has sought the assistance of the Sri Lankan mission in Singapore to obtain more details about the racket which is reported to have been going on for over six years. |
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