Human Trafficker Sentenced for Exploiting Women in Prostitution

A nine-year prison sentence has been handed down to a human trafficker who enticed women from Thailand and compelled them into commercial sex. Manachaya Wanitthanawet, aged 40, was responsible for generating online advertisements for prostitution services, which were provided at various locations including Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Newcastle. She organized the travel of victims from Thailand to Scotland, initially under the premise of employment at a massage parlour. However, they were subsequently exploited as sex workers after being informed of a £90,000 debt. Cameron Wilson, 30, her former partner and a client, received a 21-month jail term for laundering nearly £150,000 derived from the criminal operation. The two individuals, who had been residing together in Yeovil, Somerset, had pleaded not guilty to multiple charges at the High Court in Dundee. During the trial, it was revealed that AirBnB properties in Dundee and throughout Scotland functioned as brothels where the women met clients. Victims were compelled to engage in sexual acts with as many as 15 men daily to settle alleged debts. A female witness testified in court that the defendant had assured her “no less than £2,500 a month” for work as a masseuse. Instead, she was housed in a studio flat and instructed to provide sexual services to clients. She stated: “In my heart, I wanted to escape from that situation, but I had no money, no passport and spoke no English, so then I cry.” A police operation in December 2020 at a flat on Gardner Street in Dundee, the residence of Wanitthanawet and Wilson, led to the discovery of £3,800 in cash, Wilson’s bank cards, and electronic devices, one of which contained communications concerning arrangements for a sexual encounter. Wanitthanawet was found guilty of recruiting and transporting the women, advertising them for sexual services, and coercing them into prostitution between July 2019 and July 2022. Furthermore, she was convicted of exerting control over the women and assisting and encouraging their involvement in prostitution. Wilson was convicted for transferring, hiding, and converting illicit funds via bank accounts. Kris Gilmartin, the defence solicitor advocate representing Wanitthanawet, noted that his client, a first-time offender, had earned a business degree and served as a production manager prior to her arrival in the UK. He asserted that she voluntarily engaged in sex work after coming to the UK. Mr. Gilmartin stated: “She does not and has not at any point suggested she was a victim of human trafficking.” Mr. Gilmartin mentioned that in a report compiled about her, she acknowledged exploiting the women and informing them of a debt that required repayment. He further commented: “Given the length of sentence which will be imposed it is inevitable that deportation will follow. She will have to return to Thailand to start again.” Lord Scott issued a five-year human trafficking prevention order against Wanitthanawet.