PATTAYA, Thailand – Three Chinese women were rescued from a house in Banglamung after allegedly being lured to Thailand for entertainment work before being assaulted, sexually abused, detained and subjected to an alleged ransom demand, according to Chonburi Immigration Police.
Four Chinese men were arrested during the operation and face four serious charges, while investigators are expanding the case to identify other people who may have been involved.
Chonburi Immigration Police chief Pol. Col. Napaspong Khositsuriyamanee said officers received information at about 10 p.m. on September 22 that people were allegedly being held against their will and sexually assaulted at a house in a housing estate in the Rong Po–Motorway area of Banglamung. One of the women had contacted relatives for help through WeChat.
Officers immediately began checking information and reviewing CCTV footage around the housing estate. The footage showed foreign nationals entering and leaving the house, giving investigators reason to believe it could be the reported location. When officers arrived, they heard a woman shouting for help from inside the property.
Four Chinese men were found attempting to leave the house and were detained for questioning. Officers then searched the property and found three Chinese women. Two of the women came down from the second floor and called for help. Officers later found a third woman inside a wardrobe, allegedly restrained with a metal chain, and brought her to safety.
The four suspects were identified as Haiyang Liu, 31, Lan Liang Feng, 28, Xiao Jia Bin, 25, and Deng Shunzhi, 22. Three were reportedly without passports, while Deng was carrying a passport.
The suspects have initially been charged with jointly coercing another person through the use of force, jointly detaining or confining another person, jointly committing rape and jointly extorting property.
Police took the four suspects to Pattaya City Police Station investigators on September 23 for further legal proceedings. Authorities said that after the case is concluded, the suspects will face deportation and be placed on a blacklist barring their return to Thailand. Investigators are also examining whether others were involved. CCTV footage reportedly showed more than four people entering and leaving the housing estate and the house.
The four arrested suspects have so far not provided information useful to the investigation into possible accomplices. Officers are now seeking the house owner or landlord for questioning as they continue to establish how the property was rented and whether others were involved. The three women were safely removed from the property while the investigation continues.
