Pattaya –
An Uzbek man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after he was allegedly involved in the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of Uzbek women in Pattaya.
A video report of this story can be found here.
The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police told TPN media on Friday (July 7th) that they have arrested a man only identified as Mr. Navruzbek, 32, an Uzbek national, at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan. He is being accused of being involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation by means of coercive threats and fraud.
The arrest came after Navruzbek allegedly defrauded many Uzbek women and caused them to be sexually exploited in Thailand. According to the CSD, he recruited his victims by telling them that he could take them to work as chef assistants at a restaurant in Pattaya, promising them that they would receive a significant income. He also promised to provide them with free travel and a free visa and work permit service. Many Uzbek women agreed to join him because they needed money for medical treatments and some needed money for marriages in Uzbekistan.
After the woman arrived in Pattaya, however, according to the CSD, they were sexually exploited by being forced to wait for men buying sexual services on Pattaya Beach near Pattaya’s Walking Street. Navruzbek allegedly told the women that they also needed to pay back the travel fees and visa services provided which was about 175,000 baht each by providing sexual services to clients in Pattaya before they could get their passport back and leave. If any woman did not do what he asked, he would allegedly detain them against their will and starve them, limiting their meals and forbidding them food, according to the CSD. The Uzbek victims worked for him at least four times per day from 6:00 P.M. until 6:00 A.M.. They reportedly received only one free meal per day.
One of the victims, whose name was withheld for her safety, escaped Navruzbek and asked for help from the Night Light Foundation and Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R). Arrest warrants have since been issued for three suspects which are the head of the gang Mrs. Samrat, 42, Ms. Diloromkhon, 22 a friend of the victims who was actually working with the suspects, and Mr. Navruzbek, who provided customers and “managed” the girls, essentially a pimp according to CSD.
Mrs. Samrat, 42, and Ms. Diloromkhon along with 17 other victims fled or left Thailand while Mr. Navruzbek who was about to leave was arrested. CSD believe that the group became anxious after one woman escaped and all were either fleeing or preparing to flee Thailand.
Mr. Navruzbek has denied all accusations and says he is innocent. However, he did admit that he knew Ms. Samrat but said they merely lived in the same village but were not close and he was not part of the human trafficking network.
Navruzbek remains in custody as relevant law enforcement agencies proceed with legal charges against him and will let the courts decide if he is guilty or innocent. The CSD believe they have significant evidence against Navruzbek while he reportedly plans to fight the charges.
