Police in North Jakarta busted an alleged underage prostitution ring involving girls as young as 14, an investigation into which uncovered depressing circumstances that forced the girls into the grim life.
According to reports, the North Jakarta Police raided two apartment units at the Gading Nias Residence Towers in Kelapa Gading on Thursday and rescued nine underage girls – aged 14 to 19 – and four adult women who were allegedly brought from West Java and forced into prostitution in Jakarta. Five alleged pimps, led by a married couple identified by their initials MC (35) and SR (33), were arrested on charges of human trafficking and violating the country's child protection laws.
Speaking to the press about the case yesterday, the North Jakarta Police said that MC and SR were acquaintances of the girls' parents, and that the couple lent them money in exchange for the girls working for them as karaoke attendants.
"If the parents want a motorcycle, then [the pimps] would buy them one. The pimps would be repaid in installments from the money the girls earn," North Jakarta Police Chief Budhi Herdi Susianto said, as quoted by Detik.
Sadly, the girls were made to do much more than accompanying male customers at karaoke. According to the police, they were also forced to perform erotic dances and prostituted to the pimps' clients.
Police arrested the alleged pimps based on a tip-off from concerned residents of the apartment building where the girls stayed. Authorities are looking into the possibility that the apartment's management were involved in the crime or turned a blind eye to it.
All of the pimps may face at least 15 years in prison each.