Detective Sergeant Andrew Raven said members of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit and the divisional tasking unit executed a warrant at 10.30am on Friday.

The target of the warrant was an apartment off Liebig Street which faces the Ozone car park.

"Two women were present and arrested - a 43-year-old woman from Hamilton and a 52-year-old Warrnambool woman," he said.

"During the search an amount of cash was also seized, about $3000."

Detective Sergeant Raven said the apartment had been under police surveillance for the past few months after a tip off was received from the public.

"There was a lot of information from the public about suspicious activity," he said.

"There's a lot of shops and businesses in that area.

"During the surveillance there were a couple of instances where there was suspicious activity observed.

"There were also tips received through Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000)."

Detective Sergeant Raven said that as a result of the information and surveillance the warrant was applied for, approved and executed on Friday morning.

"The women were arrested, interviewed and will be charged and bailed to appear in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court during September," he said.

"They have been charged with being sex workers without a licence or permit.

"Our surveillance indicates there is no shortage of clients.

"It is not an offence to use the services of a sex worker but they must be properly licensed.

"There are many regulations and council bylaws about providing these sorts of services."

The bust comes after a similar raid at a Warrnambool motel in mid-August last year.

A couple running the motel was issued with fines of almost $20,000 for breaching the chief health officer's COVID regulations.

The motel operators each received $9913 fines after being caught with two illegal immigrant prostitutes on the premises.

The operators of the Anchor Belle, in Darling Street, were issued with the business infringement notices by Warrnambool police after officers arrested two sex workers caught working in the motel on the night of Friday, August 14.

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