Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court has sentenced a Syrian man identified as SH.M.A. to life in jail for forcing women into prostitution.
The court found that the accused lured the women to the UAE on the promise of jobs.
However, once they were in the country he beat and forced them into prostitution.
The accused was the last of a 13-member gang to be arrested. The others were prosecuted early this year. At that time he was outside the UAE and was sentenced in absentia.
Once he was arrested, the same court revoked its previous judgment and a new judgment with the same sentence was passed.
The 13 men arranged employment visas for the women, welcomed them at the airport and provided them with accommodation in villas. Then the women had their passports confiscated and were beaten, starved and forced into prostitution.
One woman managed to escape and led police to the other women.
Police caught some members as they locked several women in a flat.
A week later, two more women escaped and, aided by other people, they reported the ring to the police, who arrested more accused in another flat.
Another member of the ring was caught at the airport. Investigations led to another villa, which was raided after a warrant was obtained from the prosecution. More women were rescued there.
The ring members pleaded guilty to facilitating prostitution and luring women into the country on promises of high-paying jobs, and later threatening and forcing them into prostitution.
