Seven Thai women who were lured to work as sex workers in Dubai have been rescued and will return to Thailand soon, according to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
DSI chief Pol Lt Col Korawat Parnprapakorn, said yesterday the women were rescued on Sunday after Dubai authorities raided a room at the New Rolla residential building, which they say acted as a front for prostitution.
He said the rescue operation was launched after the DSI was asked last Thursday by a person who lived in Dubai to help rescue a 32-year-old Thai woman lured by a Thai agent to work at a Thai traditional massage shop. When she arrived in Dubai she was forced to serve as a sex worker.
After the DSI received the complaint, the law enforcement agency sought help from its counterpart, the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department, to help locate the woman.
They found she was duped to work at a brothel instead of a Thai traditional massage shop as promised by her job agent, he said.
Pol Lt Col Korawat said Dubai authorities found there were seven Thai women working as prostitutes there. The brothel was owned by Chinese people and overseen by Koreans.
According to the DSI chief, each Thai woman duped to work in Dubai had paid 5,000 baht to Thai agents as a commission. Once they arrived they were ordered to delete their online conversations and were picked up by Chinese women at the airport.
At the brothel, their passports were seized and they were detained in service rooms, waiting to serve customers.
The DSI said the procurers threatened to beat them if they did not sell their bodies to repay the 70,000-baht incurred in travel costs.
He said the victims were being cared for and were waiting to be sent back to Thailand.