Authorities have arrested five Thai suspects who allegedly duped a 13-year-old girl into working in a brothel in Malaysia, and in a joint operation rescued her and four other victims, says the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).
The arrests followed a weeks-long probe into a forced prostitution racket that began in late July, when a woman asked the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) to rescue her 13-year-old daughter who was deceived into forced prostitution in Malaysia.
The girl was rescued in a joint operation with Malaysian police three days after Thai police received the request for help. Based on her statement, police found that there were at least five people -- two men and three women -- working together in the racket.
The first two, identified as Wanpadej, 38, and Leo, 32, were nabbed on Thursday in Chaocheongsao and Chon Buri respectively. They allegedly detained the girl and arranged for her to be sent to Narathiwat and smuggled across the border.
According to police, the girl was then taken to a brothel in Kuala Lumpur, where she met three Thai women -- identified as Methinee, 38, Narumon, 44, Kesanee, 38 -- who allegedly forced her into the sex trade.
Methinee is accused of luring the girl into prostitution by telling the girl that she could earn between 20,000 and 200,000 baht a month working as a keeper of a massage parlour in Malaysia.
Narumon allegedly procured clients for the racket while Kesanee allegedly ran the ring.
The trio were arrested at a hotel in Selangor, where four other victims -- two Thais and two Indonesians -- were also rescued, police said.