More than 140 of the parlours, most offering sexual services, have opened in the past year, mainly on the Coast’s northern end.

The Brisbane-based Prostitution Enforcement Taskforce has confirmed it is investigating a couple of “Mr Bigs” who each control a number of parlours while immigration authorities say most of the young girls working in the parlours are on student visas.

The visas allow the young women to work 40 hours a fortnight but authorities admit keeping track of them is difficult.

Councillor Dawn Crichlow and Mayor Tom Tate. Photo: Jerad Williams

Most parlours have at least five girls working each shift which average 10 hours, up to six days a week.

The Gold Coast City Council says it is powerless to stop the illegal parlours as they meet zoning approvals and pass health inspections.

But Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow says the situation is out of control and tarnishing the city’s reputation.

“They used to be down south on the border of Tweed Heads but now they’re next door to family-friendly restaurants and offices,” she said.

Police are scrambling to close down these ‘massage’ parlours.

“Little kids are having lunch with their parents and watch an old man walk out of a parlour with a young girl in short shorts.

“They are absolutely everywhere — it’s just out of control.

“Owners are using these young girls and it needs to be stopped.

“There needs to be a law that prevents this from happening.”

The Newman Government had planned new laws to require massage parlour staff to have a certificate in remedial massage, after more than 40 opened in 2014.

But a Labor Government spokesman said there were no plans to address the matter.

TheGold Coast Bulletin attended two massage parlours in Labrador and Parkwood with both offering sexual services for an extra $20. The offers were declined.

The Gold Coast Bulletin received information a “rub and tug” massage shop was near Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek’s office but he said he was not aware of a parlour near his Isle of Capri base.

John-Paul Langbroek. Photo: Steve Pohlner

“That is news to me but I will look into it,” he said.

“A couple of years back senior police told me that bikies were using massage parlours as a source of income.

“But that was some time ago, so I’m not sure if this surge is a return to that or not.”

More than 50 massage parlours on the Gold Coast were raided in 2013 as part of the crackdown on criminal bikie gangs.

Police suspected gangs were behind the surge in the number of parlours along the Gold Coast Highway over the past two years.

Prostitution taskforce Detective Inspector Denzil Clark said it was not common knowledge but customers accepting sexual services could face criminal charges, with the maximum penalty seven years in jail.

Insp Clark said he believed the operators behind the latest wave of parlours were just normal people enticed by money.

“The financial gain is the motivation behind these businesses,” Mr Clark said.

“There are certainly several people we’re aware of who have multiple businesses.

“The issue (with policing it) is you need to have people present to catch them in the act or to obtain information.”

Police are not permitted to remove their uniforms while on duty.

FROM the outside, it looks like any normal therapeutic massage business.

A pristine white reception, piles of clean towels and shiny laminated price lists suggest the same.

But unlike a genuine massage therapy appointment there was no discussion about which area of the body might be tight, causing problems and needing attention from a therapist.

Instead the Asian man staffing reception of the unassuming shop in Labrador wonders: “Do you want front massage too?”

He asked it as casually as a barista would inquire if you want sugar in your coffee.

Behind him sat a young Asian woman on a couch, sucking on a lollipop. She didn’t look a day over 20.

Asked if the “front massage” was a “special sexy massage”, the man nodded and said “Yeah”.

On closer inspection, there were two separate menus on the counter — one for higher priced “deep tissue” and one for “relaxation”. The latter, he explained, included the “front massage” — that was an extra $20 which could be sorted out once in the room.

“Relaxation” massages were $20 for 20 minutes, $30 for 30 minutes and so on. It included a “two-girl duo” option for double the cost.

As the Gold Coast Bulletin declined and headed for the exit, he added: “We had six or seven girls on this morning. But we still have four working now.”

At another massage shop a few minutes drive away, a tall, slim, attractive Asian woman on reception wasn’t so forward and didn’t bring up “front massages” — but things changed in the massage room.

Again, there was no prior discussion about any injuries or niggles needing attention.

“Please take all your clothes off and lie face down on the massage table.”

All my clothes? Underwear?

“It’s up to you — you can leave your undies on or take your undies off.”

Just before she briefly exited the room, she smiled and added: “Easier if you take them off.”

It was like any other therapeutic massage room. A full-length massage table, bottles of massage oil, tranquil low-volume music.

It was 7.30pm. The “therapist”, in her mid-20s said she’d been working since 9am and had done 10 massages but did get a lunch break.

She was tired. I told her she could take it easy — she laughed and said: “I’m going to”.

We chatted normally. She’d been on the Gold Coast several years, wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay, didn’t like Surfers Paradise nightclubs, said it was a lot better going out back home.

The massage was much like any therapeutic one, except near the end.

She stopped, leaned down to face level and indicated an extra service was available by shaking her hand up and down vigorously.

Asked how much, she quickly flashed the fingers of her hands twice to indicate “20”.

The Gold Coast Bulletin declined and said, “No, that’s okay.”

She smiled, her face momentarily flashed with a look of relief.

She said: “That’s good.”