PNG POLICE have warned guest houses, lodges and clubs in Mt Hagen that lure females as “comfort girls” for their clients to stop the practice.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said some of the owners had been luring young girls and divorced women into their premises for illicit activities.
He said such activities would boost the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases.
Lakari said the females were mostly employed and allowed to stay around the premises to attract clients.
He said using these “comfort girls” to attract customers was wrong and was one way of spreading HIV/AIDS.
Police officers have been instructed to keep a lookout on these small guest houses, lodges and clubs during the busy festive season.
“If we see girls doing nothing inside, we will take the owners to the station for questioning,” he said.
Lakari said these business premises were being turned into brothels where men could easily get rooms, buy alcohol and have sex with the “comfort girls”.
He warned the women to avoid being used as “comfort girls” and return to their families.
“If police officers see the same old faces hanging around, we will arrest and charge them with loitering,” he said.
The National