Macau authorities have cracked down on organized prostitution in the region. While the special administrative region allows prostitution, organized prostitution is a no-go.
The Arrestees Included PSP Members
The Macau Judiciary Police (PJ) dismantled three prostitution operations last week, arresting a total of 26 people in the process. Shockingly, the arrestees included members of the Macau Public Security Police (PSP), including the PSP deputy head, Leong Heng Hong. The arrestees even included two retired members of the judiciary police, local media outlets reported.
Additional data shows that only 2 of the 26 arrestees were women. Of all arrestees, 18 were locals, 6 were from mainland China, and 2 were from Hong Kong. The PSP officers, two Hongkongers, and eight others remained in custody. The rest, including the retired PJ officers, were released for the time being.
The PJ operation saw officers raid three saunas, five offices, and 23 other locations on Friday. The locations were associated with criminal syndicates that were found to have been running organized prostitution from 2016 to 2024.
The operations’ proceeds were estimated to be between $28.5 million and $39.7 million. This allowed the syndicates to bribe officials and avoid being caught in the act.
The investigation into the prostitution syndicates in question continues.
Prostitution in Macau Is Legal, Organized Prostitution Is Not
For reference, Macau, unlike mainland China, allows prostitution, as long as it is not organized by a larger organization. As a result, prostitution and gambling have become key reasons for many Chinese nationals and tourists to visit the SAR.
Per Macau’s rules, prostitution must be privately agreed upon by individuals, rather than offered as a service by a broader business. However, this hasn’t stopped criminal organizations from offering such services.
Since customers cannot be reasonably expected to differentiate between sex workers offering their services legally and those serving a syndicate, some criminal organizations have been able to profit from illegal prostitution.