The suspected prostitutes. INSET: The houses that have been converted into brothels
The Labadi Police have raided some houses at La Apese in Accra which are allegedly being used as brothels by some suspected prostitutes.
Nineteen of the suspected prostitutes were arrested during the operation, together with a 30-year-old man, who was having sex with one of the women at the time.
The women, aged between 16 and 37, include 14 Nigerians and five Ghanaians.
According to the police, the operation was conducted after they had received several complaints from residents and the municipal assembly about the nefarious activities of the suspected prostitutes in the area.
Arrest
The police team, led by ASP Richard Daplah, the Labadi District Police Crime Officer, carried out the exercise around 9pm Saturday night.
ASP Daplah said residents and officials of the Municipal Assembly told the police about the negative impact of the activities of the suspected prostitutes on the youth in the area.
They said some of the landlords, who have rented their rooms out to the suspected prostitutes, charge them GH¢50 daily.
“The said landlords involved are only focusing on the financial gains without consideration for other members of society, the residents said.
Based on these reports, police raided the area on Saturday, April 7, 2018 and arrested the suspects, but several prostitutes managed to escape.
According to the crime officer, intelligence gathered revealed that the suspects wear very erotic dresses after 6pm and stand by their doors to solicit clients, and this has gone on for several years.
Clients, he noted, pay between GH¢10 and GH¢50 per session.
He averred that the police had invited all the landlords to the police station for questioning.
Meanwhile, the suspects are being processed for court.
Some residents of the area yesterday morning expressed gratitude to the La Police for successfully carrying out the operation.
According to Lydia Tetteh, a resident, their daughters have also started the bad practice.
“Because these prostitutes have money pay GH¢50 as rent per day most of our landlords are ejecting us.
“Our husbands are also leaving us due to the activities of the prostitutes.”
One of the landlords, whose rooms are being occupied by the some of the suspects, James Kwodjo Nmai, conceded that they had rented the rooms to the madams, who also hand over the rooms to the prostitutes.
“These prostitutes have been living among us for the past 50 years and we believe that any area where there are harlots, there is always peace,” Mr Nmai added.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey