DUBAI // A runaway maid escaped from a gang that forced her into prostitution only to be captured by two other men who made her to work in a massage parlour.
Dubai Criminal Court heard that S P, 31, an Indonesian, absconded from her sponsor’s family in Hatta because they beat her up and did not pay her on time.
“I met this woman who told me her name was Noor Hayati and she convinced me to abscond as she could find me a better job,” said S P.
The maid was then taken to a flat where three other women where being held. S P was beaten up and threatened until she agreed to work as a prostitute.
After two weeks of work, she was sold to another person, whose name she did not know.
“I worked for him for a month before I managed to escape and find a taxi,” said the maid.
She asked the taxi driver to take her to a police station, but instead, he handed her over to two men, who took her to Abu Dhabi.
The men then locked her up and forced her to work in a massage centre for up to 14 hours a day.
She was then offered her for sale again, but this time the buyer was an undercover policeman.
On May 4, the men, M H, 34, and K Y, 35, both Bangladeshis, were arrested and the maid was rescued.
“We arrested them in a sting operation after we were tipped off that they were trying to sell the maid for Dh4,000,” said Emirati policeman SA, 30.
Further investigations then led to the arrest of Bangladeshi MS, 23, who the maid claimed had forced her into prostitution in Dubai.
Prosecutors said MH and KY confessed to a human trafficking charge, while MS denied knowing the victim.
In court on Sunday, all three men denied human trafficking charges. MS was also charged with confining the victim, which he also denied.
The case was adjourned until August 30.
salamir@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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