16 Jun 2004

Fiji police say Asian prostitutes entering Fiji on student visas

7:52 am on 16 June 2004

Asian women are reported to be entering Fiji on student visas to work as prostitutes in brothels in Suva and other towns.

The Daily Post says this has been confirmed by the police commissioner, Andrew Hughes.

The Post says a Chinese restaurant owner known as Mr Big is understood to be charging the Asian women fees of 4-thousand US dollars each to facilitate their entry to work in brothels and acts as their pimp.

The revelation follows last week's 600-million US dollar drug bust in Suva and a string of arrests in Fiji, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Mr Hughes says it is too early to confirm if there is a link between the criminal syndicate indicate involved in the production of meth-amphetamine and the prostitution racket.

The director of immigration, Joe Browne, says he is aware of Asian prostitution rackets operating in Micronesian countries in the northern Pacific but not in Fiji.