Trafficking probe over 20 victims at parlour

[webfact]

Trafficking probe over 20 victims at parlour

By The Nation

 

 

POLICE LISTED AMONG CUSTOMERS OF RAIDED VICTORIA SECRET AMID OFFICIAL SCANDAL

 

MORE THAN 20 of the 113 women detained by authorities following last Friday’s Department of Investigation (DSI) raid on Victoria Secret’s massage parlour are probably victims of a human trafficking network, according to authorities.

 

Meanwhile, some police officers were found to have used the parlour’s services free of charge, said a senior anti-human trafficking official.

Pol Maj-General Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, deputy chief of immigration police, said authorities were cross-checking with neighbouring countries the documents of more than 20 of the 113 women to see if they had been victims of human trafficking, but at least two were obviously victims, based on a preliminary investigation.

 

Of the 113 women rescued from Victoria Secret, 96 are from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, four are Thai and two Chinese. Ittipol said Thai authorities were contacting their counterparts in other countries about the nationalities and ages of the women to complete their investigation.

 

Ronnasit Preukyachiva, the chief investigator of an anti-human trafficking organisation, said authorities had also found a list of police officers using the message parlour’s service free of charge inside a cashier’s room during the DSI raid. The list included names and dates covering the month of September last year.

 

According to one list, officers from the local police station as well as immigration police used the services at Victoria Secret free of charge on 14 occasions, with each of the people named on the list. As a result, five officers from the Wang Thong Lang police station, where the parlour is situated, have been suspended from duty.

 

International reputation

 

Ronnasit said police and other state officials had to be more transparent in tackling human trafficking problems so they should not be involved in the illegal activities themselves because the international community closely monitored the situation in Thailand. 

 

On Thailand’s status regarding Trafficking in Persons (TIP), he said it was too early to comment on whether the latest development would negatively affect the country’s status, but relevant authorities were all trying to close loopholes to make sure a similar situation did not happen again.

 

Besides human trafficking in the prostitution trade, Thailand earlier also faced international criticism on human trafficking in the fisheries industry resulting in a warning from the European Union, which threatened to ban Thai seafood exports to its members.

 

At least six employees of the Victoria Secret parlour have been detained by police, including Boonsub Amornratanasiri, who supervised its operations.

 

Pol Colonel Krisana Patcharoen, the deputy national police spokesman, said the Metropolitan police unit had set up a committee to investigate the chief of Wang Thong Lang police station as well as four other police officers, because authorities were under pressure to take strong action against human trafficking and prostitution.

 

Ittipol, the deputy immigration police chief, said the 113 women included some who were under 18 and did not have proper documents, so medical specialists would check the teeth of girls believed to be 18 or younger to verify their age.

 

Meanwhile, Mana Simma, a senior Interior Ministry official, said authorities were examining which of the 113 women were under 18 while those who are over 18 would be questioned about whether they had been lured or forced into prostitution.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30336249

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-15

 

[leeneeds]

 No more, secrets's at Victoria's 

Will the police claim they were, on occasional visits to be undercover , or on top of the situation,

Thinking with the small engorged  head, 

presents problems for sane men, who

suddenly lose all sense of  rational, 

 

 

[mikebell]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

a warning from the European Union, which threatened to ban Thai seafood exports to its members.

Now we know why authorities seem to be taking this seriously despite Police freebies being a part of their salary package.

[ChrisY1]

I can imagine this going a lot further than a few "freebies"....however, I also imagine that the cops, immigration and influential people being excused......the usual way these rackets end.

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post has been removed. 

[CGW]

This place has been operating with impunity for at least 25 years! doubtless made quite a few folks rich, why after all these years are they finally doing something? - Interesting.....

[colinneil]

6 minutes ago, CGW said:

This place has been operating with impunity for at least 25 years! doubtless made quite a few folks rich, why after all these years are they finally doing something? - Interesting.....

You ask why after 25 years they got raided, well the probable answer is somebody forgot to pass the brown envelope up the chain, and big boss got upset, so organized a raid to show no money for me, no nookie for juniors.

Edited January 15, 2018 by colinneil

[CGW]

34 minutes ago, colinneil said:

You ask why after 25 years they got raided, well the probable answer is somebody forgot to pass the brown envelope up the chain, and big boss got upset, so organized a raid to show no money for me, no nookie for juniors.

& there's me thinking (hoping!) Thailand had become a fair and just society

[MichaelJohn]

How many other places like this do we all know exist ...... thousands and thousands.

Do the Thais and the authorities know they exist; of course they do.

Turning a blind eye as always.

[worgeordie]

" because authorities were under pressure to take strong action against human trafficking and prostitution." not pressure from inside Thailand,but pressure from outside,where sancations

could be enforced,that affect much bigger businesses,so better do something,or be seen to be

doing something,even if it's the tip of the iceberg.

regards Worgeordie

[AhFarangJa]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

According to one list, officers from the local police station as well as immigration police used the services at Victoria Secret free of charge on 14 occasions,

Well, I am stocked and shunned...Who would have thought that ..........On a serious side I truly hope these girls get the best care and help to get back to a normal life.

[colinneil]

12 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Well, I am stocked and shunned...Who would have thought that ..........On a serious side I truly hope these girls get the best care and help to get back to a normal life.

Well you are stocked? Too much booze pal, use more soda next time. 

[ThaiFelix]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Ronnasit said police and other state officials had to be more transparent in tackling human trafficking problems so they should not be involved in the illegal activities themselves because the international community closely monitored the situation in Thailand. 

Interesting sentence.  So only their reputation matters??

[Mickmouse1]

Arresting managers or supervisor isn't good enough. Who is the real owners and mastermind of the entire operations? Where does the proceeds go to ? Accounts holders, how are these accounts operate etc etc?

[MyFriend You]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

" because authorities were under pressure to take strong action against human trafficking and prostitution." not pressure from inside Thailand,but pressure from outside,where sancations

could be enforced,that affect much bigger businesses,so better do something,or be seen to be

doing something,even if it's the tip of the iceberg.

regards Worgeordie

The answer to that is legalize prostitution.......as for the human trafficking, I haven't a clue how to end that, been going on for thousands of years the world over, slavery, debt paying etc etc.  And I think Thailand has turned a corner, with assistance of the West to clean up the act, yes Sanctions will hurt Thailand so sacrifice a few to help the rest.

[MyFriend You]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Well you are stocked? Too much booze pal, use more soda next time. 

Aaah c'mon we all know that doesn't work, an ounce of alcohol is an ounce of alcohol, even when mixed with a glass of soda........