Police said the arrest of popular local actresses involved in prostitution had blown the lid on what is believed to be a major prostitution ring.

The Sri Lankan police have now sought public assistance to locate the whereabouts of 20 actresses who have gone into hiding.

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Apart from local prostitutes, Sri Lanka is also known to have foreign sex workers working in clubs which mainly cater to tourists.

A recent US State Department report said Sri Lankan women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels in the country, especially in the Anuradhapura area in north central Sri Lanka.

In 2009, Sri Lanka's National Child Protection Authority estimated that approximately 1,000 children were subjected to commercial sexual exploitation within the country although some agencies believed the actual number was between 10,000 and 15,000.