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Thai Women in Deadly South Africa Sex Ring

Police are investigating the role of fellow officers in an alleged human trafficking case involving 26 Thai women who were arrested in a dramatic raid on Durban's After Dark "gentlemen's club", according to South African media reports.

According to a special report by Sibusiso Ngalwa in the Sunday Tribune, investigations by the Tribune have revealed that some members of the South African Police Service had used their houses to keep Thai women. The report alleged that brothel owners would use the corrupt police to scare the girls, telling them that if they refused to obey their orders they would be thrown into jail for being in the country illegally.

Last week 26 women and four men were arrested in two raids. The raid led to the closure of a club called After Dark, and the discovery of other women at a private property in Pinetown. They appeared in court on Monday on charges of prostitution and being in the country illegally and their case was postponed to Jan 12 for further investigation.

The Tribune report quoted "sources" who said the Thai girls were lured into the country by false promises of abundant employment opportunities in South Africa. Once here they were sold into prostitution and their passports confiscated.

The sources said that three kingpins - who were now in hiding - had been identified, and warrants for their arrest had been issued. One kingpin is said to have direct links to human trafficking syndicates in Thailand, the report said.

Unconfirmed reports state that the police, as part of their ongoing investigations, have uncovered a money trail between South African criminals and their Thai counterparts, running into millions of rands (dollars). The Thai syndicates are allegedly paid 60,000 South African rand (about 308,000 baht) for each girl.

Adapted from: "Thai women in deadly S Africa sex ring." Bangkok Post. 28 December 2006. (Source: UNIAP Thailand)