US Justice indicts 12 Thais for trafficking in hundreds of Thai women for commercial sex in the US

[webfact]

US Justice indicts 12 Thais for trafficking in hundreds of Thai women for commercial sex in the US

 

 

ST. PAUL, MI: -- The United States Department of Justice yesterday released a lengthy statement saying it has indicted 17 suspects, 12 of them are  Thais, for trafficking in hundreds of Thai women into the United States for commercial sex.

 

According to the department, the indictment announced yesterday at St. Paul, Minnesota, charges 17 members of an international sex trafficking organization with transporting hundreds of women from Thailand and profiting from advertising them for commercial sex throughout the United States.

The charged defendants include five U.S. nationals.

 

Eight of the 17 charged defendants were arrested yesterday at various locations in Minnesota, California, Illinois, Georgia and Hawaii.

 

One charged defendant was previously arrested in Belgium and four defendants remains at large.

 

“Human trafficking is a degrading crime that undermines our nation’s most basic promises of liberty and security,” said Attorney General Lynch. “This case demonstrates the Justice Department’s determination to hold traffickers accountable and to help the survivors of this appalling practice reclaim their freedom and dignity.

 

The Thai defendants include Sumalee Intarathong, 55, Chabaprai Boonluea, 42, of Winder, Georgia, Watcharin Luamseejun, 46, Pantilla Rodpholka, 31, of Mount Prospect, Illinois, Noppawan Lerslurchachai, 35, of Lomita, California.

 

Their charges ranged from conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, to commit forced labor, and to commit visa fraud.

 

According to the indictment, Intarathong served as a boss before her arrest in Belgium earlier this year.

 

As alleged in the indictment, each woman identified as a victim of human trafficking was “owned” by Intarathong or another boss until the victim could repay the debt.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/us-justice-indicts-12-thais-trafficking-hundreds-thai-women-commercial-sex-us/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-10-06

[PatOngo]

National image!!!

[smedly]

there must be links to people and organisations back in Thailand - I hope they are also being investigated and arrests will be made

[slapout]

The Thai legal system has not seem interested in going after their own nationals even when given the info as well as jail time, given to those in the US by us courts. The Thai lady named and shamed for accepting bribes from a US company dealing with the Tourist ministry is a prime example of inaction that we can expect.

[Krataiboy]

Uplifting to see 12 archetypal Thai men doing their bit for the export trade.

[GinBoy2]

I feel a defamation charge heading for those evil US prosecutors, damaging the image of Thailand & it's culture LOL

[thaihome]

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

National image!!!

 

35 minutes ago, slapout said:

The Thai legal system has not seem interested in going after their own nationals even when given the info as well as jail time, given to those in the US by us courts. The Thai lady named and shamed for accepting bribes from a US company dealing with the Tourist ministry is a prime example of inaction that we can expect.

 

17 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Uplifting to see 12 archetypal Thai men doing their bit for the export trade.

 

14 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I feel a defamation charge heading for those evil US prosecutors, damaging the image of Thailand & it's culture LOL

 

This sure feels like the Thai news forum.

TH 

 

[ScotBkk]

30 minutes ago, thaihome said:

 

 

 

 

This sure feels like the Thai news forum.

TH 

 

Thai info

I agree. It's called - opinions!! 

[thaihome]

1 minute ago, ScotBkk said:

Thai info

I agree. It's called - opinions!! 

It's why I don't read the Thai news forum. Shame it's bled over to here.

TH 

[hdkane]

If guilty, I hope the Thais find their way to a medium security facility in the midwest.  Nice and cold most of the year, and the small, lithe, hairless Thai men will find they are prized currency.  

[ScotBkk]

3 minutes ago, thaihome said:

It's why I don't read the Thai news forum. Shame it's bled over to here.

TH 

If you don't express yourself with biased opinions you'll eventually end up on the good guys register.

 

Unfortunately, us biased self- opinionated Bastards are all Bad Guys !!! 

[Emster23]

I want to know how the heck they got visas for USA, tourist or otherwise. From my experience, and those of friends, regarding obtaining visas for Thai women has chance of snowball in hell.

[gandalf12]

At least this time they won't get a slap on the wrist. I forsee some long jail time for them.

[williamgeorgeallen]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

there must be links to people and organisations back in Thailand - I hope they are also being investigated and arrests will be made

doubt it that might adversely affect thailands people smuggling rating. good general would not approve of that.

[thaihome]

3 hours ago, Emster23 said:

I want to know how the heck they got visas for USA, tourist or otherwise. From my experience, and those of friends, regarding obtaining visas for Thai women has chance of snowball in hell.

I know many Thai women that have no problem getting US tourist and/or business visas. With the proper documents it's no problem.  I suspect that carefully crafted "stories" based on fabricated evidence was built that showed they had a reason to return. It appears the organization was pretty sophisticated.  Would seem they may have been active in Europe as well.

TH 

 

[SOTIRIOS]

...how about some names.....???

 

...and how about we stop pretending that Thais are innocent victims of foreigners....

 

...as was suggested in the first story that broke on this case....???

[chilli42]

7 hours ago, smedly said:

there must be links to people and organisations back in Thailand - I hope they are also being investigated and arrests will be made

 

Stop try to make sense.

[sawadeeken]

7 hours ago, Emster23 said:

I want to know how the heck they got visas for USA, tourist or otherwise. From my experience, and those of friends, regarding obtaining visas for Thai women has chance of snowball in hell.

Money.............. Even our us embassy in Bangkok has 'interviewers' who can be bought by agencies.......

A story as old as time....... (in Thailand)

The Embassy catches them after a while, but how many got thru before the embassy catches them???

[arrowsdawdle]

Help them reclaim their freedom and dignity, Madam Attorney General? More illusion from the Clinton Obama Wizard of Oz school of naivete that presupposes the world is how they imagine it rather than how it is.

[maoro2013]

17 hours ago, Emster23 said:

I want to know how the heck they got visas for USA, tourist or otherwise. From my experience, and those of friends, regarding obtaining visas for Thai women has chance of snowball in hell.

The first visa I obtained for my Thai wife resulted in her being apprehended at Sydney airport. I got through immigration shortly after and asked the officer interrogating her what was going on. He asked me who I was, and I said I was her husband. He wanted my travel docs, and I supplied my passport, and we were on our way. I see how tricky it is for an attractive Thai lady to travel. I also took her to Papua New Guinea. On the path to securing a visa, my wife went to the PNG consulate in Bangkok. The absolute pain in the arse bitch there (she has a very bad name) said she could never get a visa for PNG. One of my friends who happened, at that time, to be the director of foreign affairs (and in fact the bitches boss) for PNG agreed to meet us at immigration to fix things at the gate if needed. Our plane was diverted to Cairns due to weather considerations, and arrived about ten hours late at Port Moresby, to discover, to our amazement, a visa on arrival was given to Thais. The point is, it is not made easy for attractive Thai lady's to travel. I just pointed out a couple of obstacles  faced by my wife.

[atyclb]

wonder if the women were sex workers while in thailand before leaving?