The Phnom Penh municipal Military Police on Sunday raided four massage parlours in Por Sen Chey district and detained 29 suspects for questioning over their alleged involvement in prostitution.

Deputy municipal Military Police commander Pu Davy on Monday said the four massage parlours were located near the Phnom Penh International Airport in Chaom Chao III commune’s Prey Tea 1 village.

The 29 suspects were of Chinese and Vietnamese nationality, with 17 of them women.

Davy said three game boxes, a bicycle, a metal safe, five motorbikes and some condoms were seized as evidence.

“The 29 suspects are being detained along with evidence at Phnom Penh Military Police headquarters. We are still working on this case,” Davy said.

Por Sen Chey district police chief Yim Saran said he could not provide details as the case was being handled by the Military Police.

Chom Chao III commune chief Va Savoeun told The Post on Monday the four illegal massage parlours opened early this year.

“The massage services are offered only at night in one gated community. From the outside, it’s hard to tell that the venue also provided prostitution services. The four massage parlours are all owned by Chinese and some of them had the same owner,” he said.

Savoeun said many parlours across the capital offered massage services as a cover for prostitution.

In late April, Military Police officers also raided two Chinese-owned massage parlours in Chaom Chao III commune that were found to have secretly offered sexual services.

At the time, officers detained 12 Chinese nationals including two general managers and 10 women suspected of providing sexual services.