Female gang leader to serve 13 years

ABU DHABI // The female "big boss" of a human-trafficking ring that involved 17 Filipino men and women has been jailed for more than 13 years.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance found MA, a Filipina, guilty of leading a ring that lured Philippine women into the country with false promises of high-paying jobs. After their arrival, they were forced into prostitution.

MA was sentenced to 10 years for human trafficking, three years for using two flats for prostitution, six months for sex outside of marriage, and one month for possessing alcohol. She was also fined Dh50,000 for illegally employing an expatriate sponsored by someone else.

The 16 other gang members were all sentenced to three years in jail for human trafficking-related offences. They were arrested in July during a raid after a woman who had been trafficked called the police.

Three women led the ring and forced the victims into prostitution after holding them captive and threatening them. The victims used visit visas and were aged 23 to 33.

During the raid, police confiscated money from the defendants, which included sums of US$18,000 (Dh66,114) and Dh12,128. Police also confiscated Dh54,000 found in one of the defendants' bank accounts, according to Col Hammad al Hammadi, the head of the CID.

hhassan@thenational.ae