Foreigners-only restaurant in Vietnam busted for prostitution
HO CHI MINH CITY – The owner of a Ho Chi Minh City restaurant that is exclusively for foreigners was arrested on Jan 11 amid allegations of facilitating prostitution.
Ms Nguyen Hoai Thuong, 39, owner of the Lolita restaurant in District 1, faces charges of procurement following a police raid at a nearby hotel in Cao Ba Quat Street, where officers discovered two couples engaged in what appeared to be prostitution activities.
The women involved identified themselves as employees of Lolita, claiming they were dispatched to the hotel to cater to foreign clients.
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Subsequent police actions led to a search of the restaurant, resulting in Ms Thuong and five other staff being detained for further questioning.
Article continues after this advertisementDuring the investigation, Ms Thuong revealed that since Lolita’s opening in May 2022, the venue not only offered dining and unlicensed karaoke services but also women tasked with entertaining a solely international clientele to evade local law enforcement detection.
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Ms Thuong admitted to permitting her employees to engage in sexual services, which were provided both on-site and at nearby accommodation. The going rate for these services reached up to 8 million dong ($315), with the women receiving a 60 per cent commission.
The authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.