Surrey Hills brothel Bamboo Massage on Canterbury Rd shut down

Clients are still turning up to a Surrey Hills house where an illegal brothel was raided and shut down weeks ago.

The massage parlour has closed since it was declared an illegal brothel.

Clients are still turning up to a Surrey Hills house where an illegal brothel was raided and shut down weeks ago.

Operators of the Canterbury Rd business, which promoted itself as a massage parlour, has removed its signage and shut up shop since police it declared as a proscribed brothel in court on November 1.

But when Whitehorse Leader visited the property about 2.30pm on Wednesday, November 21, a man was sitting on the porch of the derelict building, while three other men tried to gain access to the building.

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The group of men attempted to open the front door and peered in the side windows, before one man threw a small rock onto the roof, and they retreated to the back of the building.

Men seeking the services of Bamboo Massage early in the afternoon has not been uncommon, according to a nearby business owner.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said older men had walked into her business after midday multiple times asking if it was the massage parlour.

The brothel reportedly also operated into the night.

The massage parlour has closed since it was declared an illegal brothel.

The woman said she left work late one night, sometime between 10pm and midnight, and saw “a young girl standing out front dressed like she was ‘going out’”.

She said a number of her clients had asked her if she was aware “what was going on” nearby.

Another woman working in a nearby business also said “people were suspicious” about the advertised massage parlour.

“It was quite obvious,” she said. “I’m surprised (the authorities) didn’t pick up on it earlier.”

Staff working in businesses in the shopping strip said they thought Bamboo Massage had been operating for about two years.

Sergeant Cameron Scott said police investigated the business in October after receiving complaints from the community and finding sexual advertisements online, before taking it to Ringwood Magistrates’ Court.

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Sgt Scott said the business had been allowed to continue operating as a legal massage business, but the managing agent had instead decided to cease trading.

He said police took all allegations of illegal sex work very seriously.

“We want people to understand that if they attend illegal premises for the purpose of sexual services that they are could be contributing to the exploitation of workers and could be charged by police because they are committing an offence,” he said.

Sgt Scott said anyone who had information on illegal brothels should phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.