2 S'porean men charged in Thailand for allegedly recruiting Thai women for prostitution in S'pore

Two Singaporean men are facing charges in Thailand for allegedly recruiting Thai women for prostitution in Singapore.

The Nation reported that the two men are part of a group of five individuals who are suspected of being involved in an online prostitution network.

The five are facing criminal proceedings in Thailand.

Online network, arrest operation

The suspects consist of two Singaporean men aged 42 and 46, two Thai women aged 33 and 37, and a 35-year-old Thai man.

Operations were conducted in Thailand's Rayong and Phitsanulok.

Their activities were supposedly linked to a network called the "Lover's Fortress", the police said.

The Nation reported that officers traced the subjects and obtained arrest warrants after examining bank transactions which were allegedly connected to prostitution earnings.

Items seized by the police were worth over 350,000 baht (S$13,277) in total, consisting of 15 mobile phones, three computers and laptops, 16 bank passbooks, 10 ATM cards, 100,000 baht (S$3,793) in cash, and jewellery.

Offences

According to The Nation, the Thai police is charging the group with several prostitution offences, from recruiting women to promoting prostitution services.

Additionally, they also face charges of money laundering and participating in a transnational criminal organisation.

Questioning

The Nation reported that during initial questioning, the 46-year-old Singaporean man admitted that he had been recruiting Thai women for prostitution in Singapore since 2019.

He identified the 42-year-old Singaporean man as his business partner, noting that they communicated with customers via Telegram, LINE and WhatsApp.

Based on the police account, the 37-year-old Thai woman was allegedly responsible for seeking out customers and creating online storefronts. She also liaised with accommodation providers.

Though the 33-year-old Thai woman acknowledged lending her bank account, she argued that she was unaware of what it would be used for.

The police added that the 35-year-old Thai man admitted to working as an administrator, where he answered customer enquiries and edited pictures of the network's women.

He was reportedly taking instructions from the 37-year-old woman.

The suspects have been referred by police to investigators for further legal proceedings, The Nation reported.