Bahrain: Asian gang jailed for forcing Thai woman into prostitution
Will be deported after serving five-year prison sentence
Dubai: Five Asians have been sentenced to five years in jail followed by deportation after being found guilty of forcing a Thai woman into prostitution, Bahraini media reported.
Upon receiving the ruling, the five filed an appeal against the verdict at the High Appeals Court, which the court rejected yesterday.
According to court files, the suspects trapped the woman by placing an advertisement in a Thailand-based publication seeking waitresses for a restaurant. Unsuspecting the foul play, the woman applied for the post and was selected for an interview.
Work permit
The suspects, following a discussion, sent her air tickets and a Bahraini work permit. “They told me to pay BD1,300 towards expenses, which they said would deduct from my monthly salary,” the victim told the court.
“I accepted the offer, and a woman (the first defendant) welcomed me at the airport. She escorted me into a building, where I met another woman (the second defendant), who took my passport. She told me that I should work as a prostitute,” the victim told prosecutors.
Investigators told the court that the woman was locked up in the building, and police freed her following a raid. The raid followed a tip-off received from the Thai Embassy in the Kingdom. Public Prosecution charged the defendants with human trafficking and forcing a woman into prostitution.