SINGAPORE - A Russian woman was charged in court on Saturday morning (May 6) for her involvement in a "high-class" vice ring.
Traskovskaya Evgenia, 39, was charged with three counts of knowingly living in part on the earnings of prostitution of two women.
Between April 2016 and May 7, 2016, and between January and late March 2017, Evgenia lived in part on the earnings of prostitution of another fellow Russian, Natalia Kapskaya, 31.
She also lived in part on the earnings of prostitution of a 30-year-old Uzbekistan woman, Asalya Abdurakhmanova, between September 2016 and April 2017.
Evgenia is one of four women, aged between 26 and 39, who were arrested on Thursday (May 4) after officers from the Criminal Investigation Departmen conducted simultaneous raids in the vicinity of Raffles Boulevard, Tanjong Katong Road and Cairnhill Road.
The women allegedly made use of their stay in Singapore on valid work passes to commit prostitution-related offences.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the vice syndicate has been advertising the sexual services of women on at least 10 different online platforms, including Backpage, Skokka and Yelp, claiming to provide high-class escort services from $500 per hour.
Evgenia did not put in a plea as charges were read to her in Russian through a translator. Bail was set at $30,000. She will be back in court on May 19.
Under the Women's Charter, anyone who knowingly lives entirely, or in part, on the earnings of the prostitution of another person is liable on conviction to up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.
