Three human traffickers who fooled women into prostitution in Dubai are jailed

The Bangladeshis persuaded two Indonesian maids to flee their sponsors but the women were then sold as prostitutes.

DUBAI // Three men who persuaded two maids to run away from their sponsor before selling them into the sex industry have been jailed for five years each.

The Bangladeshis were convicted of trafficking the two Indonesian women, a charge they denied in August.

One 33-year-old victim told Dubai Criminal Court that she and the other maid were encouraged to flee their sponsor’s home in Ras Al Khaimah after five months in the UAE.

They were taken by one of the men to a hotel in RAK, where they spent the night before heading to Dubai.

“They took me to a flat in Dubai where I was sold for Dh4,000 and told I have to work in prostitution,” said the woman, who was locked up and assaulted when she refused.

She was forced to have sex with different men against her will, including one of the defendants, and escaped when she fell ill and was taken to a hospital.

“They gave me Dh500 for my treatment, which I used to hail a cab and head to a police station,” she said.

The second victim, 42, said her compatriot made arrangements with the defendants to run away from their sponsor without knowing they would be sold into the sex industry.

“We were both locked up after we refused to prostitute ourselves, but two days later I managed to run away while the man who was keeping guard of the flat fell asleep,” said the maid, who also went to the police.

The incident took place in June 2015 but the defendants were arrested in March last year.

A 35-year-old receptionist said he saw the men at the hotel in RAK where they booked four rooms.

“This was not the first time I saw one of the men. He had been a regular guest for over six years and every time he checks in, he comes with different women,” said the Indian.

Prosecutors said the men confessed to trafficking during investigations but they denied the charges in court.

They will all be deported after serving their prison terms.