Police smashed an African human trafficking gang that allegedly lured African women into sex work in Thailand.

Tanzanian duo Lulu and Swina along with Baba from Mali were said to have threatened the victims into becoming prostitutes for foreigner in busy tourist areas in Bangkok.

The trio allegedly exploited cultural beliefs and superstitions like witchcraft to coerce the African women, whose earnings they collected under the guise of 'preparing travel documents and visas'.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said Lulu and Swina were arrested in Bangkok on December 2, while Baba was earlier detained in Nong Khai province near the border with Laos. They were charged with 'participating in a transnational crime organization and colluding to commit human trafficking offenses'.

A DSI spokesman said: ‘The suspects were handed over to the inquiry officer of the Human Trafficking Crime Bureau for further legal action.'

The investigation was in line with directives from the Ministry of Justice to suppress transnational human trafficking gangs operating in the country.

Thailand has become a notorious hub for sex trafficking due to factors like poverty, weak law enforcement, and a thriving tourism industry that attracts demand for sex work. Organised crime networks exploit these vulnerabilities and often target vulnerable communities for recruitment or coercion.