VICE DENS IN JUNGLE AREAS

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VICE DENS IN JUNGLE AREAS: 22.

Ms Indranee Rajah asked the Minister for Home Affairs what steps are being taken (a) to clear up vice dens in the jungle areas, such as the one near Woodlands Industrial Park E2, and specifically (b) to prevent young students from visiting such dens.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, Police is aware of illicit vice

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activities conducted in the forested areas of Singapore , and has mounted operations to arrest the perpetrators and shut down such vice dens whenever they appear. For example, between September 2003 and April this year, three such operations were conducted against vice dens in the forested area near Woodlands Aveneue 4. A total of 113 arrests were made.

After a vice den has been raided by the Police, frequent patrols will be deployed to ensure that the vice activities do not return. Police also works with the relevant Government agencies and the local community to prevent the recurrence of such activities, for example, by erecting physical barriers to prevent further access to the area.

Police investigations into all these cases did not find that any student or youth had gone into these forested areas for vice activities.

Thus, Police's assessment is that there is no problem of young students visiting such vice dens. Nevertheless, Police will continue to monitor the situation closely.