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Famous brothel faces closure |
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Friday, 16 November 2007 |
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 Yab Yum, Amsterdam's best-known sex clubs has become the latest target of the city's crackdown on organized crime infiltration of the city's world famous sex industry.
The Yab Yum club, a brothel housed in an elegant canal house in the 17th century centre of Amsterdam, has long been an exclusive hangout for businessmen and tourists. The licence is now revoked because the owners are suspected of using their permit to commit criminal acts.
The brothel has a month to contest the decision in court. But the burden of proof falls entirely on the club to show all transactions were legal.
Amsterdam has been conducting a crackdown on criminality in the city center for nearly five years, using a 2002 law that forces business operators to disclose detailed accounting in order to have their licenses renewed. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, but Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen says he wants to root out the "underlying criminality" linked to the city's famed Red Light District.
A panel set up under the 2002 law concluded that there is a serious risk Yab Yum's owners use it as a front for criminal activities. The owners were allowed to respond to the conclusion, but could not convince the city not to withdraw its license, the municipality said in a statement.
The spokesman would not elaborate on what kind of criminal activities were suspected, but so-called private clubs and brothels have in the past been accused of laundering money for criminal gangs involved in everything from drug dealing to extortion.
 The names of several well known figures from the criminal underworld including Sam Klepper, John Mieremet and Willem Endstra (all now murdered) have been connected to the club.
The club's owners have been ordered to close it down within weeks, but can appeal the decision to pull its license.
Entry to the club costs €70, according to its Web site, which shows pictures of an ornate bar and private rooms featuring double beds and huge bath tubs.
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