Courtesy Police detain 83 suspected prostitutes.

Kyiv’s largest Dnipro River nightclub, known as a hangout for women engaged in the world’s oldest profession, was raided overnight Nov. 20-21. Police rounded up 83 suspected prostitutes, put them on a bus and took them to a nearby police station.

They were detained only a matter of several hours. Their identities were entered into a “special registry,” police said. It was an unusually large bust. “Usually we catch between two and 10 prostitutes in a hotel room,” said Volodymyr Polishchuk, spokesperson for Kyiv’s police.

Police said they were still investigating whether possible collusion between the women and the nightclub’s management. Repeated calls to River Palace went unanswered.

Prostitution is against the law but carries a small fine – Hr 170 – for first-time offenders. Promoting prostitution – pimping – is a more serious criminal offense. Polishchuk said this was the first police raid on raid on River Palace in its 14-year existence.

Criminal defense lawyer Ihor Cherezov questioned the legality of the police decision to round up the women and put their names in a registry. Some of the women reportedly resisted arrest.

Commonly referred to as the “boat” by local expatriates and as a place of amusement for business clients, the River Palace is owned by Moscow-based Ritzio Entertainment Group. It is actually a 62-meter long converted yacht.

Many of its foreign managers left in July, when the nationwide gambling ban came into effect. Its longtime manager, United Kingdom citizen Ray McRobbie, said he quit on New Year’s Eve.