The national

Maids ‘forced to become prostitutes’

Awad Mustafa

•  Last Updated: July 01. 2010 12:24AM UAE / June 30. 2010 8:24PM GMT

---------------------------                         ----                                                     DUBAI // Five men ran a brothel where runaway maids were forced   to work as prostitutes, the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance heard yesterday.

The men, all Indians, identified as MN, 23; SA, 26; MB, 35; MA, 24; and SZ, 36, were all charged with human trafficking, operating a brothel, illegal confinement and aiding and abetting a crime.

The group encouraged house-maids to abscond from their employers and work in prostitution, prosecutors say. An informant led police to the group and MB was brought in for questioning, the court heard. He told investigators that his job was to run and operate the brothel for MN and SA while MA and SZ supplied the girls and clientele.

Police raided the brothel on January 8 and a 20-year-old Bangladeshi girl was found in the building. The girl told police that she was brought to the country through an employment company but when she arrived was told by two men that she would be working in prostitution. The men then sold her for Dh14,000 to MN and SA, prosecutors said.

The girl said she refused to work as a prostitute but MN and SA beat her, locked her up then raped her. The girl said that she was forced to cater to between 10 and 15 clients every day.

The men denied the charges and their case was adjourned to July 21.