Man took job as sex workers' police lookout in Geylang, gets jail

A Singaporean man, Magandran Nadarajan, has been sentenced to 33 weeks in prison for his role as a lookout for sex workers in the Geylang district. The 49-year-old pleaded guilty to charges including receiving gratification for aiding sex work and obstructing justice. His sentence includes an additional 19 weeks for breaching a remission order, highlighting the seriousness of his actions.

Magandran was released from prison on December 27, 2025, after a previous conviction for a similar offense. On the very same day, he accepted a job offer from an acquaintance, Subash Rao Muniandy, to act as a police lookout. His task was to cycle around Lorong 22, Geylang, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and alert Subash if he spotted any police officers. Subash would then inform the sex workers, who paid S$10 daily for this service.

This arrangement facilitated sex workers' attempts to evade law enforcement. The court heard that an average of 15 sex workers utilized these services daily. Magandran received a daily payment of S$60 to S$70 from the collected funds. The prosecution emphasized that Magandran is a repeat offender with low rehabilitative prospects, given that he re-offended immediately upon his release.

Subash Rao Muniandy's case is still pending. The prosecutor argued for a jail term of 14 to 17 weeks for Magandran's lookout role, plus an additional 19 to 23 weeks for breaching his remission order. The court considered that the offenses occurred over two and a half months, involving consistent daily efforts to obstruct justice. Magandran's actions demonstrate a pattern of behavior that undermines law enforcement efforts against vice activities in the Geylang area.