Three expats, who were found guilty of running a sex trafficking ring in 2023, are now standing trial for laundering the illicit earnings, although they have long been deported.
The Indian trio, along with a fourth, now-deceased accomplice, are accused of laundering more than BD138,000. Their trial began at the High Criminal Court yesterday.
In 2023, the court convicted the four accused of pressuring their victims into entering the vice trade, and relying on the earnings that the women made, as their source of income.
They were sentenced to two years in prison each, and were sent to their home countries after completing their sentences. The now-deceased Indian was to face a retrial but died before a ruling was issued.
From 2019 to 2023, the suspects allegedly rented out and operated four massage shops, then laundered BD138,748 in business revenue through international wire transfers, or by trading in GCC currencies.
“While the defendants’ sex trafficking trial was ongoing, an investigation was conducted into their finances,” a General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security officer earlier testified.
“Suspicions of money laundering were arising, so we went through the defendants’ statements, transactions and bank accounts and anaylsed them.
“They ran a sex trafficking network, using a number of massage parlours, businesses that they had rented, as a front to execute their scheme.
“Clients paid by cash and card, and the majority of customers were from the defendants’ country or neighbouring nations.
“The suspects attempted to give the revenue legitimacy and conceal the true source of the funds by exchanging that money and sending it abroad, or buying and selling Gulf currencies.
“Large sums were remitted abroad and most of the beneficiaries in the transactions were the defendants themselves, or their deceased partner.”
The officer added that many clients paid through point-of-sale (POS) machines and ATM card readers.
Court documents indicate that the female defendant allegedly laundered BD60,500, while the second defendant laundered BD39,720, the third BD11,513, and the late accomplice BD28,015.
Prosecutors further allege that, of the total, BD99,439 was laundered through international wire transfers, while BD39,309 was laundered by trading in currencies.
The defendants were a 42-year-old woman and two men aged 48 and 45. Their alleged accomplice died at the age of 52.
Before the Indian suspect passed away, an appeals court had overturned his sex trafficking conviction and ruled to return the case to the court that issued the initial verdict, to make a new ruling, although the grounds for the retrial were not specified.
The court has set October 14 as the date a verdict will be issued in the latest case.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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