7 Laos nabbed at Udon brothel bar

7 Laos nabbed at Udon brothel bar

Seven Lao sex workers were arrested during a raid by anti-human trafficking police on a karaoke bar near a police station and a district office in Udon Thani in the early hours of Thursday.

The owner and a caretaker at the karaoke bar were arrested as a result of the raid in Wang Sam Mo district of this northeastern province.

The raid was conducted shortly after midnight after two officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division, posing as customers, asked to buy sex services from two Lao women for 700 baht each. Other officers waiting outside the bar moved in after receiving a signal from the two officers.

Seven Lao women and caretaker Wasant Kaewwiset were arrested. A shotgun with three shells and 30 condoms were seized. They were taken to nearby Wang Sam Mo police station. 

Mr Wasant, 39, told police he had previously worked as a cook at a restaurant in Nonthaburi. He and his Lao wife, who worked as a waitress at the restaurant, later moved to Wang Sam Mo district to take care of the bar, operated by his younger sister Watcharaporn Kaewwiset.  

He insisted all of the Lao women had entered the flesh trade voluntarily and they were aged over 20. The bar charged customers 700 baht each for sex services. The bar would deduct 200 baht for room services while the sex workers would receive the remainder.   

He claimed he paid a bribe of 2,000 baht a  month per sex worker to local officials.

Ms Watchaporn later turned herself in to police.

Pol Capt Seree Thaweesapchavanant, deputy investigation chief at the Anti-Human Trafficking Division who led the raid, said three of the seven sex workers were believed to be below 18 years of age. The women would be sent to a hospital to undergo a bone mass test to find out their exact age. 

Authorities initially charged the bar owner and the caretaker with prostitution and illegally sheltering migrant women. Mr Wasant faces an additional charge of illegal possession of weaons. The Lao women have been charged with providing sex services.

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