Police raid villa and rescue three Chinese women 'chained and raped by fellow countrymen'
This is the dramatic moment police raided a villa and rescued three Chinese women who were allegedly being held captive and abused by their fellow countrymen.
The alleged victims were reportedly lured to the two-storey property in Chonburi, eastern Thailand, under the pretence of 'entertainment work' when they were allegedly abducted by four Chinese men.
They were believed to have been raped in the suspected drug and sex den in the Takhian Tia area.
But one quick-thinking captive, whose phone had been taken, is said to have waited until the suspects fell asleep before using their phone to send a text to her family via WeChat. She then warned the recipient not to reply to avoid alerting the men.
More than 20 cops and officials stormed the two-storey property shortly after midnight on September 23.
Footage from the early hours of Wednesday morning shows the officers surrounding the villa before scaling the front gate. They entered the living room and detained a Chinese man, while two women were found in a nearby room on the ground floor.
Three more Chinese men were arrested upstairs.
A third woman was discovered in an upstairs bedroom wearing pyjamas. She reportedly appeared battered and terrified, but showed relief when she realised police had arrived.
Authorities said the raid was launched after one of the women's relatives received a WeChat message saying she was being held against her will and urging them to contact police.
Police Colonel Napatpong Kositsuriyamanee, superintendent of Chonburi Immigration, said the woman's family had notified Thai authorities at 11 pm local time on Tuesday. He then coordinated the operation with Bang Lamung police, Tourist Police, immigration investigators and district officials.
He added: 'She sent a distress message on WeChat saying she was being held against her will and did not have her phone with her. She asked the family not to reply to that number and said there were several men and three women inside.
'She urged her relatives to contact the police and send a large number of officers, while sharing her location and warning them to be careful. She said the people inside appeared to be unarmed, but warned that any reply could put her in danger.'
During the raid, officers also found a chain allegedly used to restrain one of the victims, along with boxes of condoms, crystal methamphetamine, used ketamine packets, and drug paraphernalia.
The women, aged 36, 32 and 23, reportedly told police they had been lured to the property 'for entertainment work' before allegedly being held captive and raped.
Their relatives were then allegedly subjected to ransom demands.
The four Chinese suspects were reportedly found without passports and are believed to have entered Thailand illegally through natural border crossings.
Police also found vile photographs on one suspect's phone allegedly showing sexual abuse involving the women, as well as images linked to ketamine.
Authorities said they were verifying the allegations of unlawful confinement, rape, ransom demands and immigration offences.
