Men face trial for trying to force woman into prostitution

Dubai: A 24-year-old woman who managed to flee from her pimp ended up in the hands of two men who tried to force her into prostitution.

Dubai Court of First Instance records showed the Indonesian woman escaped from her pimp but met two Bangladeshis who are accused of attempting to sell her for Dh10,000 and forcing her into prostitution.

The duo, 37-year-old visitor M.S. and 24-year-old laundry worker Z.A., denied the charges before Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir on Wednesday.

They were charged with sexually exploiting the housemaid, N.B., and trying to sell her to a secret police agent to make her work in the sex industry.

The public prosecution referred them to court for violating Federal Law No. 51, 2006, of human trafficking.

A 24-year-old Emirati corporal testified: "Police agreed to buy the housemaid for Dh10,000 and we planned a sting operation to arrest the suspects. The suspects drove to Al Mutainah where the police gave them Dh6,000 [after they reduced the price] and they handed over the girl."

A policeman, who was part of the operation, said he heard the suspects asking the agent, who posed as a buyer, "we will sell her for Dh6,000 to work in the sex industry".

N.B. testified: "I came to work here as a housemaid but my passport and visa were confiscated at the airport. A Bangladeshi man and a woman forced me to work in the sex business and I was beaten and threatened when I refused.

"One day I pushed away the woman who threatened me with a knife and [escaped] but I coincidentally fell into the defendants' hands. M.S. lied about helping me."