Thai women, casino workers rescued from Cambodia after being held for ransom

3 Thai women have been rescued from Cambodia, where they were allegedly being held for ransom by their Chinese boss. Following their rescue, another 60 Thai workers have been freed, also in Cambodia, after being duped by fake job ads and being held in “slave-like” conditions with their families ordered to pay ransom money.

The Bangkok Post reports that police in the border town of Klong Luek, in the eastern province of Sa Kaeo, are interviewing the 3 women, who have been named only as Jenjira, Pornnapa, and Sasinipa. It’s understood the women were rescued 2 weeks ago, but had to undergo 14-day quarantine and are only now being questioned.

The women say they were lured to work in an online gambling company in the western Cambodian city of Poipet, which lies on the border with Thailand. Poipet is renowned for its casinos and gambling scene. Once there, the women were detained by their employer, who demanded ransom money of 10,000 baht for each of them.

According to the Bangkok Post report, the Chinese boss told the women he would sell them to a call centre gang in China if their families didn’t pay up. The women alerted family members in Thailand, who contacted Klong Luek police. Police chief Chanonpat Sirilert then contacted border officials, who notified the Cambodian authorities. The women were rescued during a raid on the premises where they were being held and subsequently handed over to Thai Immigration officials.

Meanwhile, on Monday, 60 Thai workers who’d been conned by fake job ads were also rescued in Cambodia. The workers say they were forced to work in slave-like conditions and were beaten if they refused to comply. Their families were also ordered to make ransom payments in order to secure their release.

Following a joint operation between the Thai and Cambodian authorities, the workers were released and transported back to Thailand, where they were welcomed by assistant national police chief, Surachate Hakparn.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post