The Denpasar Police in Bali has uncovered an online prostitution ring involving three foreign nationals from Uzbekistan.
“They met each other at a discotheque before the COVID-19 pandemic and the 42-year-old suspect, with the initials PPM, also had many acquaintances who were recruiting foreigners there,” said Denpasar Police Chief Commissioner Jansen Avitus Panjaitan.
He said that as a pimp, the suspect offered women to males via WhatsApp for Rp2.5 million per person. The women would receive Rp1.5 million, while the remaining Rp1 million was kept by the suspect.
“We are still exploring their work because they came to Bali before COVID-19 and have not been able to return to their country. For this reason, they peddle women at a rate of Rp2.5 million,” he added.
The suspect had been running his online business since 2020. He used hotels across the island as mobile bases in several areas of Bali. The arrest of the suspect was carried out after there was information from the public that it was suspected an incident of prostitution was occurring.
After an investigation, information was obtained that the suspect often sold women to men who wanted to have sex.
Furthermore, on Wednesday 7th April at 8:45pm local time, a check was carried out at a hotel located on Jalan Teuku Umar Denpasar. It was found that there were two rooms suspected of being used for prostitution.
The investigation continued until the suspect’s arrest at his boarding house in South Denpasar around 9pm local time the same day. The perpetrator is subject to article 296 of the criminal code with a maximum imprisonment of one year and four months, and article 506 of the criminal code with a maximum imprisonment of one year.
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