An Uzbek woman has been arrested at an apartment in Bangkok for alleged involvement in human trafficking.
Pol Col Achayon Kraithong, deputy commander of the Tourist Police Division, said yesterday Akhmedova Nigora, a 39-year-old Uzbekistan national, was caught by police at a room in an apartment in the On Nut area.
He spoke yesterday at the Immigration Bureau Office as he was announcing the arrest of the suspect.
But he declined to say when the arrest was made.
Pol Col Achayon said Ms Nigora is on the Interpol most wanted list for involvement in human trafficking.
Ms Nigora is accused of having colluded with her associates, who are still at large, to deceive women in Uzbekistan into selling their labour power and selling sex in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, police said.
Pol Col Achayon said Ms Nigora denied the allegation during investigation, adding the suspect spoke through an interpreter.
The suspect claimed she ran an online business but no evidence of business was found, police said.
The suspect was reportedly unconscious during the investigation.
He said Uzbekistan authorities had sought Thai police's assistance to track the suspect as they have learned she has lived in Thailand.
A check found Ms Nigora entered Thailand three times and the most recent visit was in April, according to police.
The arrest was in response to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's recent order to crack down on human trafficking nationwide.