Thread: US Thai sex trafficking operation busted in America

US Thai sex trafficking operation busted in America



Library image of previous US/Thai sex trafficking bust

About a dozen people were arrested in cities across the U.S. on Tuesday for running what authorities called a sophisticated sex trafficking operation in which hundreds of women were brought from Thailand to America under fraudulent visas and forced to work as prostitutes to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in bondage debts.

The women — including one who was forced to have sex with strangers for 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week— were not allowed to move about freely and were “effectively modern day sex slaves,” according to a redacted indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The arrests, along with the recent arrest of the organization’s boss in Belgium, will effectively dismantle the operation, said Alex Khu, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Minneapolis.

“We feel pretty confident that based on the number of important-position folks we are taking down, we’ll really hurt this organization,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press in advance of an official announcement about the arrests. “It will take down this ring.”

Tuesday’s indictment charges 17 people with various counts, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit forced labor, conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to commit visa fraud. About a dozen people were arrested in the Minneapolis area, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles

Khu said his office began investigating a sex trafficking case in the Twin Cities in January 2014 and discovered it was part of an international ring and “a very sophisticated, complex network operating throughout the United States … where women are really placed on a circuit, traveling from one city to the next.”

According to the indictment, since 2009, hundreds of women were brought from Bangkok, Thailand, to several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Washington and Dallas. The women were from poor backgrounds, spoke little English and were lured with promises of a better life.

The operation’s bosses or traffickers in Thailand entered the women into a bondage debt “contract” in exchange for a visa and travel to the U.S. As part of the contract, the women would owe a debt ranging from $40,000 to $60,000 and would be “owned” by the organization until that debt was repaid.

The women were often encouraged to have breast implants to make them more appealing to potential clients. The cost of the surgery was added to their debt.

Once they arrived in the U.S., the women were forced to have sex in various “houses of prostitution” including hotels, massage parlors and apartments. They were not allowed to leave without escorts — who would have sex with the victims as part of their payment.

The women were forced to turn over most of the money they earned, as well as pay for rent, food and personal items, making it virtually impossible to repay their debt, the indictment said.

The organization controlled the women by isolating them and threatening to harm their families in Thailand if they escaped. In one case, Khu said, a woman tried to get out of a situation and the organization sent “muscle” to assault a family member in Thailand, breaking his bones.

The indictment says one victim recruited in 2010 agreed to a $40,000 bondage debt. When she arrived in the U.S., she was sent to work at two prostitution houses for 12 hour days, six to seven days a week, and was not allowed to leave by herself. The terms of her contract changed and she was then forced to work at a “spa” in Houston that was open 24 hours a day.

There, she lived on a mattress on the floor with another victim, and was required to have sex at all hours. She ran away one night, and began receiving emails that suggested her family in Thailand would be harmed and her visa would be cancelled.

“They don’t control the money. They don’t control the customers or the johns. They can’t refuse a john. They don’t have freedom of movement. … The female victims are literally helpless,” Khu said. “They can’t get out.”

The indictment describes a highly organized operation, with many tiers of employment. In addition to the traffickers, the organization also employed house bosses who ran the prostitution houses, advertised the women on websites and scheduled customers. Other “facilitators” helped with money laundering or booking travel for the victims, while “runners” would escort the women from place to place.

Khu said the head of the organization, who was based in Thailand, was recently arrested in Belgium for separate trafficking offenses there. He said the U.S. plans to seek her extradition.


US Thai sex trafficking operation busted in America - BangkokJack - Bangkok News

It was a Pyramid business plan, like Amway , the American way.

And there are cnuts here in Thailand that are making this work.
A multi billion dollar industry.
I wonder who's profiting from it ?
Thais are doing this in conjunction with US and Euro crooks.
The way to stop is is to stop it here in LOS.

Over to you General.

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

The women — including one who was forced to have sex with strangers for 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week

12 hours a day...its a lot...I wonder before they go there...they know at frist or not about their job...

Originally Posted by Nicethaiza

12 hours a day...its a lot...I wonder before they go there...they know at frist or not about their job...

I was going to respond but then thought better of it.
The mind boggles.

Originally Posted by wasabi

It was a Pyramid business plan, like Amway , the American way.

I think it's mostly Thai operation with Thais that are US citizens in the US.

As for pyramid business plans and Amway, that's not the "American way."


By the way, I'd like to tell you about MLM. Can you come to a seminar next Tuesday at 7 PM......?

Why didn't their families send them to Patts and Phuk like most poor families...how come they start out with +THB 1 Million debt ?
Did they believe it was too hard to find a "love you long time" foreigner to assist the family in Thailand ?
(Just wondering)...

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

fraudulent visas

Issued by US Embassy to poor young women. Wonder how that happened? Enquiring minds want to know.

Actually I want to know if they took the balaclavas with them from Bangkok.

EDIT: Oh, I see that's a previous pic taken at swampy.

This will cost 'em a bit of time in the pokey.


Isn't BKK Andrew lucky he isn't a yanker.

Originally Posted by Nicethaiza

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

The women — including one who was forced to have sex with strangers for 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week

12 hours a day...its a lot...I wonder before they go there...they know at frist or not about their job...

Cherry, it's a world wide problem, not just restricted to Thai woman.

The usual way is to offer the promise of 'high paying legitimate sounding employment (jobs) in the West'. Think Cleaners, Maids, Factory Workers etc.

When the girls arrive in their chosen country, their Passports are taken and held as security. A 'fine' is imposed to cover their Airfare, Visa etc ... way above the actual cost, then they are, by economic circumstances 'forced' into prostitution to pay back the fine and retrieve their Passport.

The modus operandi is replicated through out the Western world ... Philippine woman into the Middle East, Thais into Australia ... the list, sadly, is almost endless.

The Operators/Pimps are usually the same nationality as the girls.

These people are just pure evil and need the harshest sentence possible.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Originally Posted by Nicethaiza

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

The women — including one who was forced to have sex with strangers for 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week

12 hours a day...its a lot...I wonder before they go there...they know at frist or not about their job...

Cherry, it's a world wide problem, not just restricted to Thai woman.

The usual way is to offer the promise of 'high paying legitimate sounding employment (jobs) in the West'. Think Cleaners, Maids, Factory Workers etc.

When the girls arrive in their chosen country, their Passports are taken and held as security. A 'fine' is imposed to cover their Airfare, Visa etc ... way above the actual cost, then they are, by economic circumstances 'forced' into prostitution to pay back the fine and retrieve their Passport.

The modus operandi is replicated through out the Western world ... Philippine woman into the Middle East, Thais into Australia ... the list, sadly, is almost endless.

The Operators/Pimps are usually the same nationality as the girls.

I know from personal experience that Thai pimps organise single mothers to go to the Middle East on a tourist visa to work in prostitution - and many of them are aware of this.

What they don't know is that on arrival, their passport and phones are taken from them and they are essentially kept prisoner and get fucked by customers every single day until their visa cannot be renewed and they are put on a plane home with nothing to show for their efforts except for a sore arse and an STD or two.

Obviously the pimps have influential Arab partners that are the true "operators" and take the majority of the proceeds.

Isn't there enough women in America to keep the American men happy?

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Isn't there enough women in America to keep the American men happy?

Pound for pound, kilo for kilo there's more than enough I should think.

Originally Posted by crackerjack101

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Isn't there enough women in America to keep the American men happy?

Pound for pound, kilo for kilo there's more than enough I should think.

Fair point if you do it by weight.

And American men are all slim and healthy?

Originally Posted by patsycat

And American men are all slim and healthy?

It would appear not. Still, I'm sure they're nice people.

This is so wrong. Why would someone sign a $40,000 debt contract and expect life on the other side to be heaps better?

Its simple math really.... 0 vs -40k$.

maths

^it's "maths" in UK but "math" in US. Just like colour/color, centre/center, aeroplane/airplane. Same same but different.

GF was schooled in US English, if she grew up in PI - just like I was.

To the UK English snobs, just accept that there are 2 versions of English being used & taught in this world! Depends on which country colonized (yes, colonize with a "z") the motherland. Peace...

Back on topic, prostitution & human trafficking is indeed a big & terrible business in this world....

Pure slavery. I hope they hang them high on both sides of the pond.

Capital punishment for them! If not, I hope karma will take care of them!

Horrible, and to have to wear those ridiculous red xmas stockings is totally unfair/objectionable and a crime against fashion.