Abu Dhabi: A Filipina charged with running a human trafficking ring in the capital was Wednesday sentenced to 13 years and seven months in jail, and also fined Dh50,000 by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance. M.F. was also charged with possession and sale of alcohol, employing people not under her sponsorship and encouraging prostitution.
Another defendant, J.M., charged with trafficking, encouraging prostitution and working (illegally) for a non-sponsor received a sentence of three years.
E.B., a third defendant, was also sentenced to three years in jail for human trafficking and prostitution.
Fourteen other women, who were also accused of prostitution as part of the same case, received jail terms of three years. All the defendants are from the Philippines and will be deported after serving their prison terms.
The Philippines Embassy told Gulf News there were 22 victims in this human trafficking case. "They were housed at the Ewa'a Shelter for Women and Children, and repatriated later to the Philippines with the help of the UAE government."
The victims had all arrived in the UAE with visit visas and were tricked into prostitution. "The UAE government takes human trafficking very seriously and the verdict [sentence to the perpetrators] given in the case shows this commitment," Adelio Angelito Cruz, minister at the Philippines embassy, told Gulf News.
— With additional inputs from Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
