An operation by the Department of Provincial Administration led to a crackdown on two infamous lounges in the coronary heart of Chiang Rai‘s Mae Sai district believed to be concerned in human trafficking, drug dealing, and exploitation of underage staff. This was following a tip-off by international human rights organisations.
Officers found 9 people who tested positive for medicine and apprehended underage employees, the youngest being solely 15 years previous.
Under the management of Ronnarong Thepiri, an official investigator, the particular unit managed to efficiently infiltrate and take control of the two establishments located in Wiang Pang Kham, Mae Sai. The report from the human rights organisations indicated that these lounges were employing underage girls, both Thai and overseas nationals, who might have been sexually exploited and using medicine.
Upon inspection, it was found that both lounges were operating with out the mandatory official service institution license as mandated by the Service Establishment Act B.E. 2509. Further, they were serving alcoholic drinks beyond the permitted hours. Exclusive of illicit medicine were discovered within the VIP rooms, and 21 feminine and 15 male employees had been present in both lounges.
Among the female employees, six were confirmed to be below 18 years previous, with the youngest being 15 years outdated. These underage girls had been required to cater to and look after prospects, an obligation that probably involved the sexual exploitation of minors, successfully making it a case of human trafficking, reported KhaoSod
While checking the urine samples of the employees, medicine were detected in four individuals. Among the patrons, five tested optimistic, contributing to a total of 9 drug users within the lounge. It was additionally uncovered that two patrons beneath the legal age of 20 years had been making use of the service, aged 17 and 18 respectively.
In the initial stage, the special unit officers took vital steps to make sure the protection of the six underage people and moved the potential victims of human trafficking into the National Referral Mechanism. This course of concerned interviews, screenings, and differentiating of victims by knowledgeable multidisciplinary team..