Dubai Police have warned the public against seeking services from unlicenced massage centres, which pose serious threats to whoever seeks their services, including falling victim to extortionists.
The Dubai Police – during a crackdown against the illegal and unlincensed massage centres — have seized 5.9 million business cards of the operators and arrested 879 violators.
Brigadier Abdullah Khadem Suroor Al Maasem, Director of the Bur Dubai Police Station and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Police Stations, confirmed that Dubai Police have launched several campaigns to combat this illegal activity by raising public awareness of the centres’ harmful services, tracking down locations and operators of such unlicenced businesses, as well as arresting distributors of massage cards on vehicles.
RELATED STORY: Gang busted in Sharjah for spreading massage cards, running fake massage parlors
“Being a front for illegal and criminal activities, unlicensed massage centres deceive victims through fake social media accounts. Once the victim arrives, they found themselves surrounded by a group of African Nationals who drag them to an apartment and tie them up to take indecent pictures of them for blackmail,” said Brig. Al Maasem.
“Dial 901 or use ‘Police Eye’ service via Dubai Police smart App to report any suspicious, shady and illegal activities, including these unlicensed centres and their promotors,” he urged.
Licensed massage centres are registered on Dubai Economic and Tourism, and whoever wishes to seek their services can verify that by simply contacting the concerned entities, advised Brig. Al Maasem.
In October last year, three women were jailed for three years by the Dubai Criminal Court for robbing and assaulting a man after luring him to their apartment with a massage offer. They had also been fined AED284,000 each, followed by deportation.
READ ON: Man gets lured to fake massage centre, robbed of over AED 66,000 in Dubai
The penalty imposed on the centres for violating the norms of the trade and indulging in illegal activities is Dh2,000 for the first time and the shop is shut down for a week.
“If the same centre is caught for the second time, the fine is increased to Dh5,000 and the shop is forced to close down for two weeks. However, depending upon the situation the Dubai Police can arrest a person under Federal Law. No.3 of 1987 concerning the Penal Code,” Navandeep Matta, senior associate and legal compliance, Century Maxim International, was quoted as saying in a Khaleej Times report.
If the massage parlour is involved in distributing flyers carrying pornographic or semi-pornographic images, the police officer can arrest a person involved in this act under Article 361 of the UAE Penal Code.
The violator can be imprisoned for a maximum of one month and up to a Dh100,000 fine or either of the two.
