DSI and partners bust transnational human trafficking ring procuring women for prostitution in Bangkok CBD

DSI and partners bust transnational human trafficking ring procuring women for prostitution in Bangkok CBD

          On December 2, 2024, the Department of Special Investigation arrested Ms. Lulu (surname withheld) and Ms. Suweena (surname withheld), both Tanzanian nationals, in Bangkok. In connection with this arrest, Mr. Baba (surname withheld), a Malian national, was earlier apprehended in Nong Khai province. They were operating as a network of brokers, or "madams," who recruited, arranged, and transported African women. This group coerced these women into providing sexual services to foreign customers in tourist areas along Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok. Their tactics included deception, threats, intimidation, abuse, and debt bondage, exploiting the women's vulnerable physical and mental states. They also used cultural beliefs in witchcraft or black magic to control them. Additionally, they confiscated the victims' earnings from prostitution and charged them for travel documents and visas used to control them. The accused were charged with "participating in a transnational organized crime" and "colluding with two or more persons to commit human trafficking." They were handed over to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for further legal action.

          This case stemmed from an investigation by the DSI's Human Trafficking Bureau, Special Case no. 34/2567. This investigation aligns with the Ministry of Justice and the DSI's policy to suppress transnational human trafficking gangs that lure victims from Africa to Thailand, posing a threat to national security and the economy.

          The operation also involved coordinated efforts by the Royal Thai Fleet’s Special Warfare Command, the Immigration Bureau, NGOs, and the DSI’s Surveillance and Intelligence Center.