Third S’porean added to US ‘worst of worst’ criminal list
Jing Emtage, a Singaporean woman, has been added to the US Department of Homeland Security's list of 'worst of worst criminal aliens' after being convicted of running a prostitution ring. She and her husband were sentenced to prison for operating illicit massage parlours that exploited trafficked women.
Why it matters
The case highlights international efforts to combat human trafficking and the severe legal consequences for foreign nationals involved in organized crime within the US.
Jing Emtage was arrested in May 2023 with her husband after a two-year investigation.
PHOTO: US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Listen SINGAPORE – A woman convicted of operating a prostitution ring disguised as legitimate massage parlours is the third Singaporean named on the US Department of Homeland Security’s list of “worst of worst criminal aliens”.
Jing Emtage, 54, was arrested in May 2023 along with her husband following an investigation that began in 2021.
She is currently being held at the Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing centre in Washington.
During the two-year operation, law enforcement shut down nine massage parlours belonging to the couple and rescued 23 women who had been trafficked and forced to provide sexual services.
The Singaporean woman was sentenced to two years and two months in prison on July 25, 2025 for seven counts of promoting prostitution in the second degree.
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