A 33 year old woman and two associates have been arrested for allegedly running a child trafficking operation behind a cat spa front in Pathum Thani.
Police, led by Police Major General Witaya Sriprasertphap, apprehended 33 year old Waykanyapat, 32 year old Thawatchai, and 38 year old Yuwadee on May 2 under human trafficking charges.
The cat spa had been operating for seven years and was advertised on online forums. Investigators found 22 workers at the premises, seven to eight of them minors. During the raid, police seized mobile phones, electronic devices, and over 500 condoms. Workers were also found using sponges, colloquially called “chicks,” to provide services to clients even during menstruation.
The arrests followed collaboration between Police Division 5, the International Protection Alliance (IPA), and the Our Rescue Foundation. The operation was triggered after a 16 year old girl, identified as “Kwang,” was previously rescued and told police she had been hired by Waykanyapat and her husband Thawatchai, the spa’s owners. Yuwadee, a close associate, managed recruitment and payments and was responsible for bringing in underage workers.
Under questioning, Waykanyapat and Thawatchai confessed to owning the spa and serving both online and walk-in clients. They claimed the seized condoms were for use within the spa. Yuwadee had worked at the premises for five years, starting as a masseuse before being promoted to manager at a monthly salary of 35,000 baht.
Further investigation revealed the spa brought in between 7,000 and 20,000 baht per day after expenses. Police also identified a second trafficking victim, a relative of Waykanyapat, who began working at the spa at 17 years old for 20,000 baht a month. That victim has been placed under protective custody.
All three suspects have been transferred to Police Division 5 for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.
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