A 35-year-old Lao woman was arrested and charged with allegedly luring a 14-year-old girl into the flesh trade during a raid on a karaoke bar in Muang district of Narathiwat province on Friday night.
A team of police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) apprehended the woman, identified only as Souk, who was the owner of Seechompu karaoke bar in tambon Bang Nak. Seized from her were a mobile phone, a cash receipt, a condom and a money transfer slip.
The arrest followed an undercover operation in which a police officer posed as a customer requested a sexual service at the bar. Ms Souk charged him 2,000 baht and took a 14-year-old girl to him. ATPD police subsequently arrived to arrest the owner.
During questioning, Ms Souk initially denied providing any sexual services at her bar, but police had clear evidence to prosecute her.
The officers charged her with human trafficking for involving a minor in the flesh trade. She was held in police custody at the ATPD’s sub-division 6 pending legal action.
