- Published: 02/11/2012 at 02:16 AM
- Writer: AFP
Police in the canton of Bern said they had opened their probe last year when a woman of Thai origin told investigators "she had been held against her will in a Bern establishment and forced to prostitute herself".Police soon discovered the network stretched across several Swiss cantons.The main suspect, a 42-year-old Thai woman with a Swiss residence permit, was arrested during the second half of last year in Germany.She has since been extradited to Switzerland, Bern police said.The woman, whose name was not given, appeared to have been actively running the network since the end of 2008 and operated a brothel where both women and men of Thai origin living in Switzerland illegally worked as prostitutes.When she was arrested, she was carrying documents including identity papers belonging to the victims, police said.Most of the victims came from poverty in Thailand and had known they would be working as prostitutes in Switzerland, police said.However, because of the massive fees the network charged to get them to the country and for being allowed to work in its brothels, they basically became sex slaves.Each prostitute had to earn at least 60,000 Swiss francs (1.9 million baht) and in some cases as much as 90,000 francs, before being able to pay down their debt and actually pocket some of the money they made themselves.They had to sign loan contracts offering any real estate holdings they had in Thailand as security, police said.Most of the victims had returned to Thailand and did not want to press charges or take part in the legal process, they added.The main suspect has been accused of victimising 26 people in the canton of Thurgau and 31 others in the cantons of Bern, Solothurn, Lucerne, Basel-Stadt and Zurich.Six other suspects, a Swiss and a Thai man and four Thai women, are in custody.Prostitution has been legal in Switzerland since 1992, as long as the sex workers are in the trade of their own free will.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 03/11/2012 at 12:56 PM
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I think Thailand's government should focus much more on fighting prostitution and especially children's abuse. I am aware of the fact that prostitution has become an important sector of Thailand's economy since American soldiers came in the mid 50's to get some sex services but the break of dignity and universal human rights cannot reason the prosperity that brings this business to a very few people.
from iPhone application.
- Discussion 2 : 02/11/2012 at 09:48 AM
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This is a story of slave trade - more than sex trade given the legal nature of prostitution in Switzerland. It is an example again of how Thai people are their own worst enemies.....
- Discussion 3 : 02/11/2012 at 09:21 AM
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Dis #6 -'Poverty is at the root of most social ills.' And exists in every country in the world, not only Thailand. But yes, as Dis #1 says, sex slavery, pimping and prostitution is one of Thailand's most successful exports.
- Discussion 4 : 02/11/2012 at 08:53 AM
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Major step in finding the solution to:
- prostitution
- drugs
- alcoholism
- tobacco abuse
- crime in general
Eradicate poverty and educate people.
Poverty is at the root of most social ills.
- Discussion 5 : 02/11/2012 at 08:51 AM
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the oldest trade in the world,should be liable to paying tax ,so everyone is happy
- Discussion 6 : 02/11/2012 at 08:18 AM
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No names .Why not name her and her and where she comes from .Why does she enjoy anonymity after such shameless behavior .Names and pictures please so people know to avoid this woman .
- Discussion 7 : 02/11/2012 at 08:02 AM
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I hope that Swiss Immigration will deport all these nice Thai citizens and blacklist them forever after custody. I think it is time that we tighten regulation regarding visa and residence permit for Thais who apparently, as guests, are not able to follow the law of their host country.
- Discussion 8 : 02/11/2012 at 07:28 AM
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"Most of the victims came from poverty in Thailand ..."
"They had to sign loan contracts offering any real estate holdings they had in Thailand as security"
Is this what the Swiss authoritities said? They usually make more sense.
- Discussion 9 : 02/11/2012 at 05:20 AM
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One of Thailands "other" successful export businesses is found in every Country where Thai bargirls have married the "farang"for that all important residence visa.Here in Australia they engage in arranged marriages,for Thai men,for around $40,000,to obtain residence visas,they import girls to work in the legal and illegal sex industry,act as loan sharks to problem gamblers,with interest rates of 20% per Month ( as they do in Thailand)and various other crimes.An export industry never mentioned by Thai politicians.
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