From Iceland — Sidewalk Sign Arouses Suspicion

Sidewalk Sign Arouses Suspicion

Published April 25, 2012

A sign advertising an apartment and massage appears to have mysterious origins and has caught the attention of police.
A photo of the sign, shown above, was taken by a curious pedestrian. Advertising an apartment and rooms – both for a single day or long term – along with massage, in English, RÚV reports that there is no guesthouse, hotel or massage parlour registered at the address given.
The photo was uploaded by feminist activist group Big Sister to their Facebook page, and has already attracted the attention of police.
“The advertisement itself is not illegal,” said Björgvin Björgvinsson, head of the sex crimes division of capital area police, “But what lies behind it could be; it might be concealing prostitution. We will investigate the matter.”
Ironically, the address given for the rooms and massage is not too far from Reykjavík police headquarters.
Advertisements in English offering massage have attracted the attention of police in the past, when they appear in the classified sections of newspapers. While not suspicious in themselves, many of these ads have mobile phone contact numbers and are not registered businesses. Combined, police regard these elements as warning signs that what is being offered is a thinly-veiled advertisement for prostitution.

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