SINGAPORE - More foreign women have been arrested for offering sexual services on online platforms and police have expressed concern about growing vice activities in residential estates.

Figures released by the police showed a year-on-year increase in the number of foreign women arrested for online vice. Last year, 1,417 women were arrested, almost double that of 2015.

The numbers were revealed to the media following a police raid in a Housing Board estate in Woodlands on Oct 25. Six women aged between 25 and 45, were arrested for suspected involvement in vice-related activities in the raid, which was open to the media.

In a statement on Saturday (Nov 2), police said that property owners played an important role in preventing such illicit activities.

"HDB flats are meant for residential purposes, and the use of flats for vice activities is strictly prohibited," said the police, adding that flat-owners and tenants who knowingly allowed their premises to be used for vice would be prosecuted under the Women's Charter.

During the raid, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Deculan Goh noted that proposed amendments to the Women's Charter would make home-owners, tenants and property agents, more responsible in ensuring that no vice activities were carried out in homes.

During the raid, DAC Goh also said that vice activities in residential estates were a concern as the number of such cases had been rising.

No numbers were immediately available on the number of arrests in residential estates but police announced last month that 106 women were nabbed for vice during enforcement operations between Aug and Sept in condominiums, residential units and hotels.

Under proposed changes to the Women's Charter, home-owners and tenants would need to show that they could not, with reasonable diligence, have known that the place would be used for vice activities.

Property agents who knowingly rent property for vice could also be liable to criminal prosecution.

Said DAC Goh: "Moving forward, the liability will be on them to make sure that they do their checks and due diligence."