bigsale
November 13th, 2007, 08:28 AM
Cops crack down on Geylang's guardian 'angels'
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113.074041_top_news_angels.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113_002_angels2.jpg
1. LOITER AND WATCH (main photo): A bald man loiters near a group of women, seemingly unconnected to them. He mainly looks around, but keeps an eye on them.
2. JOIN IN DISCUSSION (photo above): A cyclist (in black) turns up and speaks to one woman. Bald man joins in discussion after a while.
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113_002_angels3.jpg
3. MISSION COMPLETED: Discussion is over in minutes. Cyclist leaves with woman.
HE watched over the ladies of the night, helped them get customers and warded off any competitors.
He also kept a lookout for cops and used code words to warn the women of their presence.
For instance, an SMS message that reads 'drink coffee' really meant that it was time to scram because the police had arrived.
This was just one of several services Chong Chee Khong, 44, offered to illegal prostitutes in exchange for protection money.
He would collect $20 a day from each prostitute to act as their watch-out along Geylang Lorong14.
But he ended up being watched - and caught - by the police.
Chong was jailed six months and fined $30,000 recently after pleading guilty to four charges, three of living off prostitutes' earnings.
He was also found guilty of managing a place of assignation, meaning that he regarded a part of Geylang Lor 14 as his 'territory', and managed his prostitutes there as they waited for customers.
Another seven similar charges were taken into consideration for the sentencing.
SERIOUS OFFENCE
Living off a prostitute's earnings is a serious offence under the Women's Charter, whether or not the prostitute benefits from any protection.
This was what Chong was doing when he was arrested on 16Apr last year after the police mounted a sting operation at his 'territory' along Geylang Lor 14.
When the women arrived, they would be taken to meet Chong and his partners and introduced to the protection scheme.
The court heard details on each of Chong's three charges of living off prostitutes.
Between March and April, he collected a $460 fee from a prostitute named Zhou Ling, and earned $138 from the sum.
Around the same time, he collected another $500 from a Li Xuefang, pocketing $150 of it.
In March, he also collected $220 from a Wang Kun, earning $66 from the amount.
All three women are Chinese nationals.
Chong is no stranger to the long arm of the law. Starting from 1976, he has been convicted of numerous offences, including drug consumption, drug trafficking, robbery, causing hurt and harbouring an illegal immigrant.
In mitigation, he said he ran the racket because he had three children to support and could not find a job due to his criminal past.
But District Judge Eddy Tham observed in his judgment that Chong should not be let off lightly for living off prostitutes and thwarting the efforts of the police to round them up.
Judge Tham called Chong's criminal record an indication of 'the accused's propensity towards a life of crime and reckless disregard of the law'.
He added that Chong's mitigation was a 'lame excuse' and 'he should have realised that with his criminal record, all the more he would need to keep a clean record to ensure that he would be in a position to help his family'.
Chong has been jailed but has appealed against the sentence.
He could have been jailed up to five years and fined $10,000 for each charge of collecting money from prostitutes.
For managing a place of assignation, he could have been sentenced to three years' jail, and fined $3,000.
HOVER, THEN HOME IN ON DEAL
IT'S not surprising that the police nail pimps easily in an operation.
They stand out like sore thumbs in the presence of the women, by loitering around them.
In a check by The New Paper on Sunday along the vicinity of Geylang Lor 14 and 16 last week, a suspected pimp was spotted hovering around a group of women.
A typical arrangement would involve three or four suggestively-
clad women standing close to each other, while a man loitered nearby.
PRETENCE
At first glance, the man looked like a bystander.
He would sit on a motorbike or lean against railings or cars, either reading a newspaper or just looking around.
Once in a while, one of the girls would walk to the man, say a few words, then return to her post.
The moment a potential customer approached one of the prostitutes, the man would swing into action.
He would either move closer and quietly listen as the transaction between customer and prostitute was struck or, in some cases, he would get involved in the discussion.
Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20071113-36105.html
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113.074041_top_news_angels.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113_002_angels2.jpg
1. LOITER AND WATCH (main photo): A bald man loiters near a group of women, seemingly unconnected to them. He mainly looks around, but keeps an eye on them.
2. JOIN IN DISCUSSION (photo above): A cyclist (in black) turns up and speaks to one woman. Bald man joins in discussion after a while.
http://www.asiaone.com/a1media/news/11Nov07/20071113_002_angels3.jpg
3. MISSION COMPLETED: Discussion is over in minutes. Cyclist leaves with woman.
HE watched over the ladies of the night, helped them get customers and warded off any competitors.
He also kept a lookout for cops and used code words to warn the women of their presence.
For instance, an SMS message that reads 'drink coffee' really meant that it was time to scram because the police had arrived.
This was just one of several services Chong Chee Khong, 44, offered to illegal prostitutes in exchange for protection money.
He would collect $20 a day from each prostitute to act as their watch-out along Geylang Lorong14.
But he ended up being watched - and caught - by the police.
Chong was jailed six months and fined $30,000 recently after pleading guilty to four charges, three of living off prostitutes' earnings.
He was also found guilty of managing a place of assignation, meaning that he regarded a part of Geylang Lor 14 as his 'territory', and managed his prostitutes there as they waited for customers.
Another seven similar charges were taken into consideration for the sentencing.
SERIOUS OFFENCE
Living off a prostitute's earnings is a serious offence under the Women's Charter, whether or not the prostitute benefits from any protection.
This was what Chong was doing when he was arrested on 16Apr last year after the police mounted a sting operation at his 'territory' along Geylang Lor 14.
When the women arrived, they would be taken to meet Chong and his partners and introduced to the protection scheme.
The court heard details on each of Chong's three charges of living off prostitutes.
Between March and April, he collected a $460 fee from a prostitute named Zhou Ling, and earned $138 from the sum.
Around the same time, he collected another $500 from a Li Xuefang, pocketing $150 of it.
In March, he also collected $220 from a Wang Kun, earning $66 from the amount.
All three women are Chinese nationals.
Chong is no stranger to the long arm of the law. Starting from 1976, he has been convicted of numerous offences, including drug consumption, drug trafficking, robbery, causing hurt and harbouring an illegal immigrant.
In mitigation, he said he ran the racket because he had three children to support and could not find a job due to his criminal past.
But District Judge Eddy Tham observed in his judgment that Chong should not be let off lightly for living off prostitutes and thwarting the efforts of the police to round them up.
Judge Tham called Chong's criminal record an indication of 'the accused's propensity towards a life of crime and reckless disregard of the law'.
He added that Chong's mitigation was a 'lame excuse' and 'he should have realised that with his criminal record, all the more he would need to keep a clean record to ensure that he would be in a position to help his family'.
Chong has been jailed but has appealed against the sentence.
He could have been jailed up to five years and fined $10,000 for each charge of collecting money from prostitutes.
For managing a place of assignation, he could have been sentenced to three years' jail, and fined $3,000.
HOVER, THEN HOME IN ON DEAL
IT'S not surprising that the police nail pimps easily in an operation.
They stand out like sore thumbs in the presence of the women, by loitering around them.
In a check by The New Paper on Sunday along the vicinity of Geylang Lor 14 and 16 last week, a suspected pimp was spotted hovering around a group of women.
A typical arrangement would involve three or four suggestively-
clad women standing close to each other, while a man loitered nearby.
PRETENCE
At first glance, the man looked like a bystander.
He would sit on a motorbike or lean against railings or cars, either reading a newspaper or just looking around.
Once in a while, one of the girls would walk to the man, say a few words, then return to her post.
The moment a potential customer approached one of the prostitutes, the man would swing into action.
He would either move closer and quietly listen as the transaction between customer and prostitute was struck or, in some cases, he would get involved in the discussion.
Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20071113-36105.html