VietNamNet Bridge – When the lamps are turned on, karaoke music suddenly stops, dozens of waitresses in bikinis who are flirting with clients hastily seek a shelter is the popular scene whenever the authorities storm karaoke bars or restaurants in HCM City.

HCM City authorities have recently cracked down on prostitution. In the afternoon of July 5, inspectors stormed into the restaurant at No. 20 Bui Dinh Tuy Road, Ward 26, Binh Thanh District. At this 5-storey house, the authorities found many karaoke rooms with very loud music, in which tens of young girls in bras were drinking beer with male customers. Seeing the inspection team, waitresses hastily sought a shelter.

In some karaoke room, several men were drinking with young girls, with hundreds of beer bottles and clothes on the floor.

Among the attendants, some confessed to be university students. "I was introduced to this bar by my friend to earn a few hundreds of thousands of tips per night. My family is poor. I have to do this job to support my younger brother who will become a college student this year," a girl said.

Checking out the 4th floor, the authorities discovered many lounges, which were suspected to be the places for waitresses to have sex with customers.

The two restaurants on Phan Dang Luu road of Binh Thanh District which were "raided" a month earlier were in the same situation when inspectors broke in in the early morning.

HCM City authorities also inspected a number of massage parlors which were suspected to offer male prostitution.

On the evening of June 22, inspectors stormed the traditional massage parlor at No.82 Phan Xich Long in Binh Thanh District and found out all clients naked to be served by male staff. Checking out massage rooms, inspectors found a lot of used condoms on the floor. The parlor manager said the condoms left by clients who are gays and they had no relations to his employees.

Also, inspectors checked several hotels and barber shops that were suspected to offer prostitution services. All cases detected were handed over to the police for investigation.

The local authorities also reported that some bars in the city center provided prostitutes to foreigners. Four bars on Hai Ba Trung Street (District 1) assigned young girls in bikinis to line up in front of the door to entice foreign tourists.

A series of other bars were detected to open overnight, drawing hundreds of people dancing, smoking shisha and even used drugs.

So far this year, more than a dozen of bars in District 1 have been checked. Many customers who were positive for drugs and suspected to be involved in criminal activities were seized.

The above actions of the HCM City authorities took place in the context that HCM City is considered one of the locations with rampant prostitution and prostitution-related crimes.

Mr. Le Van Quy - Deputy Director of HCM City Department of Social Evil Prevention admitted that Ho Chi Minh City is one of the cities with the complicated situation of prostitution. Some “hot spots” include the districts of 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Tan Binh and Binh Tan.

"In July, the Department will coordinate with the city police to attack on these areas," he said.

Hoa Dat