Russian police have shut down an illegal brothel disguised as a bathhouse and swimming pool complex in the village of Annino, near Saint Petersburg.
The regional main directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia told news outlet Lenta.ru that officers uncovered the operation following an investigation in Leningrad Oblast.
Officers detained nine people during the raid, including a 46-year-old man identified as the organizer of the illicit business.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspect rented the premises and converted them into a venue for prostitution. He actively promoted the establishment through advertisements and hired staff to manage customer inquiries.
Alongside the organizer, security forces apprehended three administrators between the ages of 42 and 59. Police also detained five women who were providing sexual services at the facility.
Criminal charges and legal proceedings
Authorities have opened a criminal case against the organizer under Article 241 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers the organization of prostitution.
Administrative offence protocols were also drawn up against the five escort workers arrested at the scene.
Under Russian law, operating a brothel or organizing prostitution is a criminal offence that carries potential prison sentences, whereas engaging in sex work is treated as an administrative violation subject to fines.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, known as the MVD, serves as the main federal law enforcement agency handling criminal investigations and public security across Russia.
Annino is a rural settlement located in the Lomonosovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, situated southwest of Saint Petersburg. Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject in north-western Russia surrounding the metropolis of Saint Petersburg, which is Russia's second-largest city.
Previous underground brothel raids
The raid in Leningrad Oblast follows previous law enforcement crackdowns on illegal prostitution networks in other Russian regions.
Earlier, authorities exposed an underground labyrinth brothel in one of the most expensive neighborhoods of Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Ural region known locally as the millionaires' quarter.
Yekaterinburg is the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the largest industrial and cultural hub in the Ural Mountains region.
