Saturday 21 / December / 2024
Read here/ Exposed: Street sellers who peddle girls in Oman
Muscat: Men who consort with prostitutes should ‘stay away from these women’ and ‘remember their faith’ a police spokesman said, after raids in Muscat rescued a group of Thai women from the sex trade.
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Police also asked property owners to remain vigilant. Twenty-one Thai nationals were rescued from two brothels in Muscat after joint raids by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and Thai policemen.
Three Thai women charged with running the brothels were also arrested, according to police. Residents in the area where the brothel “madams” rented apartments – Al Khuwair – have been complaining that it is turning into a red light district.
One resident told Times of Oman she had already lodged a complaint with police over the sex trade on the streets around her home. The Thai brothel keepers arrived in Oman on tourist visas and rented the apartments in Al Khuwair, according to a Royal Oman Police spokesman, before recruiting young Thai females via social media.
A police squad from Thailand flew to Oman last Tuesday and liaised with ROP officers before the raids on Thursday.
“The women had entered Oman on tourist visas. They were staying in two apartments. They were forced into prostitution,” the ROP official said, adding that nationals and residents should “keep away from these kind of women”.
A resident in Al Khuwair told Times of Oman that it was quite difficult to go out in her neighbourhood in the evenings due to the prostitutes doing deals with clients.
“Even women walking with children or their spouses were stalked. Some even dared to approach us with obscene dialogues. The would-be customers talking to prostitutes and settling the deal in the middle of roads were also causing traffic jams,” the resident said.
“I had lodged an online complaint with ROP. Many would have done the same. So, last week, we saw a huge police presence in the area. We heard about raids. Now, the situation is better in the area,” the resident added.
Meanwhile, the ROP official advised apartment owners to check apartments. The owners of the two Al Khuwair apartments, both Omani nationals, have done nothing wrong, according to police, but the spokesman add that “owners should monitor their property regularly and report to us if any illegal activities are happening.”Speaking during a police press briefing at Don Mueang airport on Sunday, Immigration Police Bureau (IPB) commissioner Nathathorn Prousoontorn said the women were forced to work as prostitutes. Omani police arrested Thai nationals suspected of running the prostitution ring.
“The apartments we raided with the Omani police were completely normal looking from the outside,” said Maj. Gen. Tachai Pitanilabut of immigration police, who flew to Muscat on Tuesday.
According to the Omani Penal Code Article 220, anyone who incites, by coercion or menace, a person to commit debauchery or prostitution shall be sentenced to imprisonment for three to five years. If the victim is under 18 years, the sentence shall not be less than five years.
Article 221 says anyone whose living is based, in whole or in part, on a third party’s earnings from debauchery or prostitution, either under his protection or influence, shall be sentenced to imprisonment from three months to three years and fine from OMR20 to 100.
Article 222 says that the same penalty as above shall be applicable to any person who manages a place for debauchery or prostitution or assists in its establishments or management. A sub-clause for the same article states that anyone who practices debauchery or prostitution against payment or not shall be sentenced to imprisonment from three months to two years.
To get in touch: [email protected] / reji@timesofomancom
