SINGAPORE - More than 130 people are assisting with police investigations following islandwide enforcement checks on massage parlours between January and last month this year.

A total of 100 massage establishments were found to have committed offences such as allegedly providing massage services without a valid licence and failing to ensure employees do not provide sexual services, said the police in a statement on Thursday (April 7).

The enforcement checks were conducted on 238 massage parlours between Jan 24 and March 26 this year. Among the 138 people the police rounded up, 39 women were arrested for offences under the Women's Charter and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Four establishments were found to have breached Covid-19 regulations by allegedly failing to minimise interactions between staff and customers and not ensuring that masks were worn within the premises.

For first-time offences, establishments may be ordered to close for 10 days and fined $1,000. Customers who were caught not wearing a mask for the first time can be fined $300.

Those convicted of providing massage services without a valid licence can be fined $10,000 and jailed for up to two years.

Under the Massage Establishments Act, repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000 and jailed for up to five years.

"Members of the public and businesses are advised to take the prevailing safe management measures seriously," said the police, adding that they will continue with regular checks on massage establishments.