Five human trafficking suspects appear in Bangkok court
Five human-trafficking suspects allegedly involved in a Mae Hong Son prostitution ring were brought to Bangkok's Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court on Thursday morning to apply for their first 12-day detention period pending police investigation.
Police opposed their release on bail on the grounds that the case carried heavy punishments if the suspects were convicted and the risk of them tampering with evidence and witnesses.
The five suspects, a 30-year-old man and four women aged 22 to 40, had been brought from Chiang Mai on Wednesday for interrogation at the Royal Thai Police head office in Bangkok, which Deputy National Police Chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul attended. They were detained in the Thung Song Hong precinct's cells that night.
The five were detained after the criminal court approved their arrest warrants on charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking to benefit from prostitution of girls under 18 and human trafficking. They also faced charges of procuring girls under 18 for prostitution and taking girls under 18 from their guardians for lewd acts or profits.
