Dubai: Two men have been charged with committing a human trafficking crime by forcing a woman to work as a masseuse in a spa.

Prosecutors said two Bangladeshi men, a 36-year-old plumber, M.J, and 28-year-old worker, M.F, lured their 34-year-old countrywoman to Dubai.

The defendants are accused of brutally beating the woman and forced her to massage strange men in different spas across Dubai.

“No I did not do so,” said M.J. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

M.F. also said: “I did not force her to massage men. I am not guilty.”

According to the accusation sheet, the defendants picked up the woman from Dubai International Airport and kept her in a flat in Al Rifaa.

Then they were said to have exploited her need for money and forced her to work as a masseuse. When she decided to stop, the suspects beat her harshly and forced her to massage men.

The suspects’ lawyer asked the court to hear the victim’s statement when it reconvenes on November 25.

The woman testified that she met a man in her country who convinced her to come and work as a masseuse in Dubai for a Dh1,300 salary.

“He asked me to pay him 60,000 Bangladeshi Taka to process my visa to the UAE but I only paid him 12,000 and promised to pay the balance later. “M.J. took my passport and I started work shortly after arrival. I worked for two months without salary and they took my tips. I refused to massage men once I discovered that it was against the law.

“When I asked them to stamp my residence visa and hand me my passport and labour ID, they beat me harshly. They locked me up for four days. M.J. had sex with me against my will. Then I told them that I agreed to resume work. M.F. dropped me at a spa. I ran out of the spa and told an Emirati man about my ordeal,” claimed the woman.

Prosecution records said police raided the spa in the afternoon and arrested the defendants.

An Emirati anti-human trafficking policeman testified that the woman claimed that M.J. and M.F. forced her into prostitution.

“The suspects were arrested. Two girls were also arrested. We seized three notebooks that were used to register the revenues of prostitution. We also seized photocopies of passports of women. The suspects claimed during questioning that they did not force the victim into prostitution but their job was to drop her at massage centres,” claimed the policeman.

The trial continues.