Sex Slave Ring

[george]

Sex slave ring

Bust shocks Cowtown officials

By MIKE D'AMOUR, SUN MEDIA

CALGARY -- A police investigation of bawdy houses that exposed a shocking human trafficking scheme has forced city officials to re-examine how they license massage parlours and those who work in them, the Sun has learned.

"We recognize without a doubt there are problems with the Massage Licence Bylaw. We do need to do some work," said Marc Halat, chief licensing inspector for the City of Calgary.

"There will be a review - a very big, extensive review."

News of the review comes on the heels of an exclusive Sun story that detailed an 18-month Calgary police vice unit investigation - dubbed Operation Relaxation - that targeted massage parlours and bawdy houses.

FEMALES PURCHASED

During that investigation, cops learned of an insidious plot that involved Asian females being "purchased" in their home countries only to find themselves working in Canada's sex trade industry.

The women are typically sex trade workers from Thailand who enter Canada using fake documents supplied by a Thai "agent" who charges up to $15,000 for forged visas and papers.

An escort then brings the women here and they meet with a local "broker" who purchases the contract for as much as $40,000. The women, who don't speak English and have no other skills, must work off that debt to buy their freedom.

It was also learned during the investigation that many of the women working in Calgary massage parlours used bogus documents to obtain city-issued massage practitioner's licences.

Any person who wants to work in the massage industry in Calgary must show a certificate - proof they have at least 250 hours of massage schooling - before they can get the licence. "We will absolutely be specifically looking at the certification process," said Halat.

"Most are good legitimate practitioners, but yes, unfortunately that negative component of prostitution exists."

ONE-DAY SWEEP

In the largest one-day sweep of its kind locally, members of the Calgary Police Service, City of Calgary licence inspectors and a pair of Immigration Canada investigators raided more than a dozen massage parlours Wednesday.

By late yesterday, police had laid 30 charges, including conspiracy to procure a person to enter Canada to work in a bawdy house, against 17 people.

Other charges included living on the avails of prostitution, keeping a common bawdy house and drug-related charges.

And cops say further charges are pending. But they said they're not kidding themselves about stopping human trafficking in Calgary.

"This is the tip of the iceberg," said Staff Sgt. Joe Houben of the vice unit.

[ThaiAdventure]

Exactly the the same thing happened to a bar Girl I know. But this was in England.

She was told by the pimps that she owed them £27,000. She had her own passport and a visa for the UK which they took and used it to get another 4 Thai girls over. She was being paid £10 per week to send to her family while she had to hand everything else over to the pimps until she had payed of the money(she was allegedly making £400 per week). She thought it would be 1 or 2 months when in fact it would have taken her 18 months.

[Laulen]

Human trafficking of whatever kind, especially where it dupes the unfortunate victim, often looking for a better life is just plain evil.

[Gravelrash]

There are two sides to all this. Firstly we know it goes on, sometimes with the BG knowing and soemtimes as a sex slavery scam. Either way deplorable, mangdas of all nations. Knew plenty of people back in Oz looking to do the same, they were usually, although not always, Thais themselves.

Secondly, makes many countries even tougher for visas for honest Thais. Funny though how the "bad boys & gals" always find a way around it.

[gburns57au]

250 hours to learn to massage.......

[paulsmithson]

The ringleader of a similar sex slavery scam perpetrated on trusting Thai women in Manchester UK is a Thai businessman in cahoots with a London low life guy!( and with the added bonus of a top ranking English copper as a family member!!!)

There are sooooooo many bar girls who would willingly do this kind of work yet these scum continue to trick and lie to ones who do wish to be a part of their evilness.

[LivinLOS]

I always wonder how much is truely trafficed and how much is media spin put on and an easier excuse / face saving for getting caught..

I knew Thai girls in Holland and most were on the game one way or another.. Many behind thier BF's backs.. Was just talking to a massage girl the other day dead chuffed that someone was sorting out her Belgian visa so she could export her rub and tug skills there.. Seems to me there is no end to the willing workers that why go to the effort of having unwilling ones.

Dont miss understand this post to condone trafficing in any way.. I just tend to be skeptical that most women that go to work as a sex worker in the west dont know what they are signing up for.

Edited January 26, 2007 by LivinLOS

[keenok]

I always wonder how much is truely trafficed and how much is media spin put on and an easier excuse / face saving for getting caught..

I knew Thai girls in Holland and most were on the game one way or another.. Many behind thier BF's backs.. Was just talking to a massage girl the other day dead chuffed that someone was sorting out her Belgian visa so she could export her rub and tug skills there.. Seems to me there is no end to the willing workers that why go to the effort of having unwilling ones.

Dont miss understand this post to condone trafficing in any way.. I just tend to be skeptical that most women that go to work as a sex worker in the west dont know what they are signing up for.

couldnt agree more.have met a couple of girls who have been "trafficked" abroad. both knew what it was for and both eventually came home with plenty of cash(by thai standards).both knew it was run by dodgy blokes(mafia as they put it),but happily went along with the dodgy visa applications(fake boyfriends)etc.both girls told me they would never do it again as they were <deleted>**ed silly for months on end to make their cash.one girl was in germany ,another in spain by the way.

[fruittbatt]

It is actually quite unhelpful to distinguish between "innocent, unwilling victims" and "experienced, willing sex-workers" where sex-trafficking is concerned. It is true that many women who have worked in the sex-trade in Thailand are keen to travel to another country which offers the prospect of a far greater income, and a new life.

Almost inevitably, when ANY women agree to go to the host country, they are NOT made aware of the full conditions of their contract before they leave home. They are often recruited by people they trust: women they may have worked with, or boyfriends....These people are in fact traffickers with no scruples about forcing the women into conditions of virtual slavery until their highly inflated "bonds" and costs are repaid with interest.

The financial pressure induces trafficked women to service far more customers per day than their "free" co-workers. They are also more likely to be forced to have unprotected sex, to be "imprisoned" in quarters provided by the trafficker, to be physically abused, to be threatened with the immigration authorities, deportation etc.

Eventually, those who are psychologically tough, may pay off their bonds and work on their own account....but usually as illegal immigrants who can be delivered to the authorities at any time.

[old wanderer]

Over 10 years ago when I proposed to my wife, she went home and talked with her parents. They had a BIG village meeting about her comming to the USA with me. I then got this letter of "conditions" that I had to agree to, if I wanted to marry her.

Right at the top was: Promise not to sell her.

There were 2 other local village girls that were recruited by a Thai woman to go to Europe and work at maids for 1 year. Both of the girls were very innocent and nieve. The Lady paid the parrents to "hire" the 2 girls for a year (about $1200 ea. (US $). They were both forced into the sex trade. They will never be the same. One has died of AIDS, and the other is a piece of trash woking in BKK.

If I ever found somebody procuring girls in my wife's village again I think I would just put them under the ground (alive if possible).

[thaigene2]

FEMALES PURCHASED

During that investigation, cops learned of an insidious plot that involved Asian females being "purchased" in their home countries only to find themselves working in Canada's sex trade industry.

The women are typically sex trade workers from Thailand who enter Canada using fake documents supplied by a Thai "agent" who charges up to $15,000 for forged visas and papers.

An escort then brings the women here and they meet with a local "broker" who purchases the contract for as much as $40,000. The women, who don't speak English and have no other skills, must work off that debt to buy their freedom.

It was also learned during the investigation that many of the women working in Calgary massage parlours used bogus documents to obtain city-issued massage practitioner's licences.

It's not necessarily "human trafficking". Only if the women didn't know they would have to pay off that debt and/or if they had documents taken and their movements limited. If they were threatened or coerced that would also count towards 'trafficking'. If they were under 18 it would be tarfficking whether or not they agreed to work as prosttitutes.

But if they were sex workers originally in Thailand (as indicated) who took part in a conspiracy to smuggle themselves into Canada for a fee that they knew they would have to work off, then it's prostitution and smuggling - both of which are crimes in Canada. But not trafficking.

Canada like the US has a rather 'baptist' view of prostitution - e.g. any woman in prostitution doesn't really want to be doing that and is a 'victim of exploitation of drugs or a pimp etc.'

They should spend some time in east asia for a different perspective.