Anti-Human Trafficking Division police have arrested two women for allegedly luring Thais into forced prostitution in Bahrain.
At a press conference on Sunday, Pol Maj Gen Kornchai Klaiklueng, the division commander, identified the women as Thanit Preechalert, alias Mona, 48, of Bangkok's Bung Kum district, and Suparat Prabkonchua, alias Joy, of Udon Thani's Nam Som district.
The arrests followed a complaint filed by the mother of one victim. She claimed her daughter had been persuaded to travel to Bahrain where she was forced into prostitution at several hotels in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
Anti-human trafficking police then asked the Foreign Ministry's Consular Affairs Department to contact the Thai embassy in Bahrain to help the girl.
Manama police and Thai embassy officials were able to rescue the girl and five other Thai women. The six were sent back to Thailand on May 20.
Information from the six victims led to the arrest of Ms Thanit and Ms Suparat. The victims said they had been lured into travelling to Bahrain by Ms Suparat who promised them highly-paid jobs, and that it was Ms Thanit who made an arrangement for them to be forced into prostitution in Manama.
Ms Thanit and Ms Suparat were charged with violating the Human Trafficking Act, the Transnational Crime Prevention and Suppression Act and the Labour Protection Act. If found guilty, they will be liable to 35 years and seven months in jail.
The two women have denied the charges.