Illegal acts in clubs: Police

The National Main Stories

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE have warned people involved in luring young girls into prostitution to stop as such illegal activities are being monitored around the country.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Donald Yamasombi told The National police were targeting foreign-owned nightclubs.
“We already have reports of illicit activities taking place in nightclubs which employ young girls as prostitutes under the guise of employing them for genuine jobs,” he said.
He recently issued a notice to be distributed to all foreign-owned nightclub owners warning them to stop exploiting young unemployed girls.
“Such illicit activities are not allowed in this country,” he said.
“It is against PNG laws to conduct such activities.”
He said the activities were not confined to only metropolitan centres such as Port Moresby because they had been detected too in other town and cities.
“We have reports that these foreign-owned nightclubs are operating as brothels,” he said.
“There is also illegal gambling and use of hard drugs.”
Prostitution is illegal in the country, although there have been moves to have it legalised.
In October 2016, a Private Member’s Bill was introduced to Parliament by then Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather to instigate legalisation.
It received a lot of opposition including from then Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Oro Governor Gary Juffa.
The “oldest profession” is reported to being practised in some mining and logging areas but police presence there is minimal.
Yamasombi said what they would concentrate on was the illegal activities in the urban centres.
“There have been numerous complaints about such illicit activities taking place in nightclubs like pole-dancing and cage-dancing, semi-naked striptease shows, gay nights and so on,” he said.
“We will soon arrest these club owners.”
He said running parallel with such prostitution operations were drug rackets also operated by foreigners.
The concern is about the exploitation of young local girls who may be looking for money.
“I am now warning these nightclubs to stop enticing young girls to use them as prostitutes in your nightclubs to promote your businesses. Such illicit activities are done in nightclubs overseas, not in PNG.”

26 comments

  • OPPORTUNIST in businesses that exploit our girls into such illegal practices that increase the spread of HIV and AIDS and STIs must be dealt with immediately to safe and protect our daughters from further harm to health. PNG is not a poor country that lack natural resources where we can go into such evils to earn our living. Police Minister need to take immediate action and encourage the young girls to encourage into SME or other informal business that may help them.

  • Arrest the owner of the night club or any such business doing these to enticed our Young girls. Get them deported back to their country and forfeit all their profit to the state#Take back PNG#

  • It is no good keeping them nor laying charges on them just banned their citizenship, business or to live in PNG and deport them out of this country if we are to win back PNG…

  • Cosom Politian should be the first on the list for all the mentioned illicit activities that exploits our young girls. All nights should be decent.

  • Asian owned clubs have tight security and are promoting this activities behind closed doors. I command Police for bring this issue to the attention so it must be dealt with according to the Laws of the country.

  • So long as there’s formal complaint, Police should arrest the law offenders. PNG is a Christian country and such prostitution activities are not tolerated here. Those foreigners, especially Asians should be investigated and deported if they are caught in violating our Laws. Thanks to Acting DPC (Ops) for bringing up this concern.

    • Eliminate corrupt police personnel then only effective policing work to curb this ever increasing illegal illicit activity will cease.

  • Those girls do smoke, chew, drink alcohol and need flex and phone. Most of them need money desperately these days. The K10 or K20 given by parents to them is not enough. Who is going to give them money?

  • Government should talk about creating employment for youths as prostitution could be one of the reasons these unemployed girls go out providing sex for money. There are lots of things our country is yet to address. We act like everything is alright and making the face of our country beautiful like making our Nationals Capital more luxurious and neglecting those unfortunate ones. Are these young girls proving sex for the love of money or lust of flesh. Parents, guidance and the government should be the ones to address this issue.

  • One of those places suspicious of practicing prostitution with teenage girls is Soho motel in POM. Around 7 teenage girls are employed in Soho motel that is operated by a Chinese. These girls are given a single bed room each, that is permanent. Why separate bedroom each? This is SUSPICIOUS of prostitution. It was reported that girls working there are enticed and sexually abused. Please check it out.

  • I think We should blame yourselves, it was their will to get into these places, Parents and vision less Government you are liable for such acts…

  • Those illicit activities has being going on in the night clubs for decades and its getting out of hand . Therefore it is time our government deal with them. Foreign club owners, mostly Asians are heavily doing those business. Those night clubs opens to very late morning hours or even to day break. Also gay show in those clubs are increasing and PNG and its citizens are learning new evil things that will have bad impact in our societies and has to be done away soon to save our Nation and our citizens. PNG is a Christian Nation and our country and our citizens should not be exposed to evil ways but must be protected for our welbeing in the long run as a Christian Nation.

  • We need the government to regulate the activities that night clubs promote. How can we say we are a Christian Black nation and yet we have night clubs and hotels promoting this kind of idolatry. This is hypocrisy! It is about time the government takes some action.

  • A thorough investigation should be carried out by the Policy and authorities concerned, get the statistics , how many of this so called Asian clubs are doing this illegal business, how many of our local girls are involved, how many are been exploited abused how many are doing it for fun etc. This is a huge issues for the city and the country as whole and tougher penalties should be enforced on the employers as well as those involved.

  • Yes it is against our Laws, but the question to the State is that, have you got an alternate plan to lure this girls to have a good genuine job or are there alternative plans for this young girls who have no choice but to do this to earn a living. Be realistic, you can arrest this Foreigners for luring our young girls with money but what are the substitute for stopping this. It is the States fault for such activities. Sad but True

  • Most or all commentators are pinpointing pom, but the issue is prevalent and all around png.
    There can be two possible actions taken:
    i) accept the issue as real and it is here to stay so legalize prostitution,
    ii) by act of parliament, pass a bill to totally ban all forms of prostitution in the country.

  • I commend the A Deputy Commissioner (operation) Yamasombi. But the law on this illegal illicit activities can only be policed well without corrupt police personnel who solicit bribes from those ill-minded operators.

  • There is no equal distribution of common wealth in Papua new Guinea that is why democratic is spoiling everyone’s thought. So do away with the democratic government established presidential government where everyone can be distributed with equal wealth, then such activities will stop. If other wise it is democratic.

  • Pleasure cannot be controlled it is Human Nature, as in the porn industry of America..More police officers should be recruited to counter the these problems and uphold our Christian principles and values.

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