Open season on saunas...

What is going on?

In the last few weeks, it seems as if the authorities have begun to raid saunas and other places where sexual services are offered.

The first alarm noticed in the Sauna circuit was the disappearance of the girls at the Smik Spa & Club in San Isidro, the highest end sauna in Lima, reported in the forum in May 30th. A high range forist who is friends with the owners reported that they had suffered a police intervention on May 25th and, despite that they had not been closed, they had to close the sex side of the business.

On June 15th The Emporio Spa in Chorrillos was raided with huge TV coverage: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em3AdUprsgM"]YouTube - ‪COLOMBIANAS SE PROSTITUIAN EN FALSO SAUNA DE CHORRILLOS‬‏[/ame].

On June 19th a TV report on the subject of illegal prostitution was aired, where a female reporter answered ads looking for girls and busted a well know VIP mamasan (Kathy) and her apartment in San Isidro, as well as her boss who runs a high class operation from another apartment also in San Isidro. Later, she also busted a little known Sauna in Av. Aviacion in San Borja. This is the link: (Reporte Semanal 19 de Junio) The report is at the end of the first video and at the start of the second.

Next day, Monday 20th, Peru21 covered the raid of another well known apartment in Av. Bolognesi in Miraflores, also posting a video on their website: (Miraflores: intervienen burdel clandestino| Perú21)

In the following days at the Spanish forum several reports were posted of other Saunas being raided.

The Finnish Sauna in Lince was raided on June 22nd.

The Lions Spa in Lince was raided on June 23rd.

The Gold Spa in San Borja was also raided on June 23rd: (Intervienen otro prostíbulo clandestino| Perú21)

The Sauna at Hotel La Princesa was raided on June 28th with huge TV coverage: (Hotel con sauna y masajistas era en realidad un prostíbulo)

There are several other reports in the forum on suspected but not reported raids on other saunas.

What is the actual situation?

There are no longer sexual services at the Smik Spa & Club, same thing at Hotel La Princesa, same thing at Sauna Los Delfines (downtown Lima).

There are no longer girls at the Emporio Spa although they can be called upon request.

It is business as usual at Finnish Sauna, Lions Spa, Gold Spa and most others although the girls are less whorishly dressed, more nervous around new customers and more cautious when offering services beyond a massage.

What is the explanation behind all this sudden interest of the authorities?

Most of us think it has a lot to do with the very controversial announced intention of Lima's brand new Mayor, Susana Villaran, to create a Red-Light District (Zona Rosa) in Lima to concentrate all activities related to sexual services. These plans have encountered a lot of opposition from several sectors, so constantly harassing girls and customers is believed to be a plot to gain support to her plans.

What to do if one is caught in a police intervention?

Nothing, just stay calm and do nothing. Prostitution is not illegal in Peru, proxenetism (pimping) is. Customers can 0nly be asked to produce proper ID documents and give contact info in case the police might require them as witnesses in the ongoing investigations. Nobody with proper ID can be detained even if caught 'in the act’ with the girl. Forists present at the regular areas of the raided saunas report not having been bothered at all by the authorities, the police officers concentrated their actions in the private rooms and the girls, 0nly the administrators have been detained to be charged and some girls for questioning or if they didn't carry proper ID.

I'll try to keep you posted of what goes on and I'm sure we all would welcome any input from other forists.

 

Thanks, Jack. This is an awesome and thorough report of not great news.

If I can make a leap, there are often similar crackdowns here in the USA, and they are generally politically-motivated. After all the headlines, everything usually goes right back to normal. Hopefully, it will be the same in this instance.

If I understand you correctly, the main difference a visitor will see is that the girls will be less overt in the saunas, and we will have to be the ones who initiate the adicionals, right?

As long as they keep away from the R y Vs, all will be well.

Side questions:

1. VIP apartments? Why haven't there been reports on these places? We need to know!
2. If they want to set up a Red-Light District, why are they messing with Lince? It already is a Red-Light District! ​

 

Thanks are not needed. I am 0nly trying to be useful.

Let's hope so. It will all depend on the political outcome of this campaign, I guess.

That's more or less so. Although there are already reports on the Lions Spa of girls reverting back to their usual aggressive selling tactics

Let's hope so. What might happen is that the "house rules" regarding actual intercourse might be enforced a little more for a little while.

We do know. Most agencies offer outcall/incall services, the apartments are kept for incalls and are generally well known in the spanish forum. You just call any VIP girl for an incall and you'll find a few other girls (usually three or four) in the same Miraflores or San Isidro apartment. Next time, you just show up and see who is available.

I'll tell that to Mayor Villaran in a letter. Maybe she doesn't know ha ha ha!

 

Sauna Gran Caiman in Salamanca is said to have been raided and Sauna Adan Spa in Miraflores is also said to have been raided but I still have no confirmation.

I have, however, confirmation that Sauna Los Delfines in downtown Lima has been raided and that is the reason why there are no sex services there for the time being.

The sauna at the Hotel Kingdom in Lince was raided on the 1st of July but either they were forewarned or the authorities picked the wrong time (11:00am), or both, the result was that they didn't find anything illegal. The kines, however have left the sauna and at least for now, there are 0nly professional masseuses.

Sauna El Tambo in La Victoria was also raided on July 1st, with full TV coverage: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlhBZkxMH1g]YouTube - ‪Policia invertviene prostibulo clandestino en La Victoria‬‏[/ame]

Mor info as I get it confirmed.

 

RT here.

Things seem to be back to normal; at least they were in Lions Spa yesterday.

It could mean that everywhere is OK, or it could mean that Lions paid off the right people, or it could mean that they don't care.

Or, it could even mean that they knew me, and that I wasn't a threat, so they went for it.

But at least, yesterday, in Lions Spa, anything that I would have wanted to happen, could have happened.

 

Well, it seems that the celebration was premature.

According to what I think I read in the Spanish forum, and a posting on another message board, the authorities have closed Lion's Spa.

Hopefully, an English-speaker in Lima can bring us up-to-date. I wonder if this is an isolated incident, or another round of governmental cock-blocking.

 

Yes, Lion's Spa was closed by the authorities. Also Venice Sauna (in San Borja).

Venice is open again but sex services are very limited and very cautiously offered.
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Yes, we (peruvians) do. All the more so if we are going to where there might be a police intervention.

We, peruvians, are used to carrying our DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad=National Identity Document) at all times. Foreigners, however, are advised NOT TO CARRY THEIR PASSPORTS, foreign passports sell well in the black market so... but carrying a picture ID, like a driver's license AND a xerox copy of the passport, is most advisable.

In the unlikely event of the police asking to produce the actual passport (0nly legal ID for foreigners visiting the country), the intelligent thing to do is to produce the xerox copy and say "Mi pasaporte está en el hotel" (My passport is at the hotel).

In any event, ALWAYS CARRY A PICTURE ID issued by a legal authority of your home country; a valid driver's license is, ussually, the best option.
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Lion's Spa was raided by the police yesterday and closed. I think this is it. I hope I'm wrong.

This is the link to the TV report: Policía intervino 2 prostíbulos clandestinos en Lince | América Televisión

The anchorwoman spoke of two places raided. The other one, said to be at block 25 of Av. Petit Thouars although the linked video was cut before that, has not yet been identified by the forists at the Spanish Section. There is no known sauna, massage parlor nor whorehouse at block 25 of Av. Petit Thouars. It's been speculated that it might be Finnish Sauna at José de la Torre Ugarte, or Aqua Spa at block 25 of Av. Arenales, but nobody seems to know for sure yet.
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• 

RT here.

Has there been any update to Lions Spa's status, and has the 'other' spa's identity been revealed?

Thanks.