Netherlands – A BDSM-themed celebration was cut short Friday night when police and the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) conducted an unexpected raid on the gay sauna SteamWorks in Arnhem’s city center. Its owner, Arold Dingemans, reported that the search yielded only a few prescription erectile dysfunction pills and no arrests.
The raid comes only a few weeks before Dingeman, who has owned Netherlands SteamWorks for nearly 20 years, plans to close the sauna on January 2. Due to health concerns, he announced the closure in late October. This incident comes on the heels of reports that a former employee had publicly accused the sauna of a variety of wrongdoings, including financial irregularities and alleged FIOD involvement.
Dingemans disputed all allegations. He added at the time, “I sincerely believe there is nothing wrong here,” which he reiterated. “This place has nothing to offer.”
Dingemans claimed that during the raid, authorities only discovered “two handfuls of erectile pills” and investigated whether any visitors had narcotics. He pointed out that the sauna’s financial records were not examined.
The police presence appeared to surprise the attendees of the BDSM-themed party. Dingemans told the media, “At first, everyone thought I had hired them as an act.”
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