Source: The Japan Times Online
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Kyodo
BANGKOK — A Thai man has been arrested in Bangkok for his role in a human-trafficking ring that sent three Thai women to Japan last year, police said Friday.
The three women, rescued by police in Nagano prefecture last September, told authorities that Chakraphan Wacharaphin, 55, had arranged travel documents and air tickets for them to work in a restaurant in Japan.
However, after arriving in the country they were forced into prostitution instead, according to the chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Royal Thai Police.
Chakraphan denied being involved in human-trafficking after his arrest Thursday, but admitted earning between 20,000 and 40,000 baht (about ¥50,000 to ¥100,000) from each woman for arranging their visas to visit Japan.
He also claimed the women's parents had agreed to the visa arrangements, the police added.
Orachorn Hayashi, a Thai woman once married to Chakraphan, was arrested in November in Nagano Prefecture also on suspicion of involvement in the human-trafficking ring, according to Thai police.
Chakraphan admitted to the police that his former wife married a Japanese man, but claimed he was unaware of her business.
Those found guilty of human-trafficking in Thailand face up to 10 years in prison, while penalties range from four to 20 years imprisonment or a 20,000 to 200,000 baht (roughly ¥50,000 to ¥510,000) fine for forced prostitution.
No comments:
Post a Comment