ABU DHABI // Three Indian men lured a woman to the UAE with the promise of a job as a maid before forcing her to work as a prostitute, the criminal court heard on Sunday.
Prosecutors say the defendants, S K, M S and Z N, picked up the woman from Abu Dhabi International Airport, then took her to a second floor flat in Hamdan Street where they ran a prostitution ring.
The victim, S F, said she was beaten and threatened if she did not have sex with customers brought to the apartment.
She also claimed S K would tie her up to drive her to hotels to see other clients.
The men were caught after S F managed to call the police.
The apartment was raided, where officers found receipts for large amounts of money that M S had transferred to his family in India.
M S told prosecutors that he had met S K through his roommate Z N and that the money he was sending home was earned through freelance jobs he had completed for them.
The police also found condoms in the room, which S K claimed were for his own personal use.
There was also a number of passport copies, one of which belonged to the victim.
The police officer who investigated the case told the court that the men had threatened the woman that they would tell her husband in India she was working a prostitute.
Another woman is charged with prostitution, while the three men are also charged with benefiting from her consensual prostitution.
The policeman said she would freely travel between hotels to see clients.
A fourth and fifth man are on trial in the case for issuing a work visa for the victim.
The case was adjourned until April 20.
hdajani@thenational.ae
