Yemen Security Forces Crack Down on Alleged Vice Rings in Al Mahra and Aden

Security forces in eastern Yemen said they had detained dozens of people in a raid on an alleged vice den in Al-Mahra province, while authorities in the southern city of Aden reported arrests linked to a separate case involving illegal activities, officials said.

Police in Shahn district, Al-Mahra, said they carried out a targeted operation on a suspected house used for “immoral and illegal activities,” arresting 32 Ethiopian nationals, including 15 men and 17 women, according to a statement from the district’s police media center.

A security source said the raid followed surveillance and monitoring of the site and was conducted without resistance. All detainees were transferred to local authorities for legal procedures ahead of referral to the relevant judicial bodies.

Shahn police said they would continue efforts to combat activities that “undermine public security and social order,” urging residents to report suspicious movements.

In a separate development, security authorities in Khormaksar district in Aden said they had arrested 11 suspects accused of running an illegal network in a coastal area known as Al-Hamra Corniche.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry said the arrests were based on confirmed information that the suspects were involved in illicit activities with individuals of different nationalities in exchange for money. The suspects, aged between 17 and 35, were detained following investigations, the ministry said.

Security officials added that the suspects admitted during initial questioning to the acts attributed to them, citing personal motives and financial gain. They have been placed in custody pending further legal action.

The arrests come amid growing concern over crime trends in government-controlled areas. Monthly reports issued by Yemen’s Interior Ministry in Aden show a rise in reported cases of sexual and related offenses.