As many as 1,800 people have been registered by the police as prostitutes in Belarus, Syarhey Kaltun, deputy head of the drug control and human trafficking department of the interior ministry, told reporters in Minsk on October 17.
There are some 780 known prostitutes in the Belarusian capital, he said.
"The number of prostitutes has almost not changed in the past four years," he said, adding that the number of male prostitutes had been steadily rising.
As many as people have already been penalized for prostitution this year, with 102 people being sent to jail.
"Thirty-seven instances of the use of prostitution and 15 instances of recruitment for prostitution have been detected this year alone," said Mr. Kaltun.
The police continue fighting sex tourism, he said, adding that two Turkish citizens had been convicted in the past for arranging trips to Belarus for sex tourists.
