By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – On December 1, Dubai police arrested 247 people in a coordinated raid of 22 brothels.  Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim stated that 170 prostitutes, 12 pimps, and 65 people seeking to buy sexual services were arrested in the raid.  The operation was a joint effort between the Criminal Investigation Department and state security.  Investigation began after the Attorney General received reports of the ring running these brothels.  After he received final reports, the Attorney General ordered the raid.  The suspects will be referred to Public Prosecution for charges of prostitution.

The illegal sex industry is run mostly by foreigners who smuggle women from their own country.  Majority of these women are promised jobs as domestic workers, yet when they arrive, they are forced into the sex trade.  Tamim also encouraged women who are victims of human trafficking to contact the Al Ameen service (provided by the General Department of State Security).

In November 2006, the UAE passed a law prohibiting human trafficking.  The law established a state body to combat trafficking.  Under the law, human trafficking is punishable by life imprisonment, or, if the victim is less than 15 years of age, the death penalty.  In 2006, an estimated 4,300 victims of human trafficking were deported from the UAE and returned to their home country.  It is expected that most of the women arrested in the raids will not be charged, but rather deported.

For more information, please see:

Arab Times – Dubai police smash prostitution ring – 5 December 2007

Associated Press – Dubai police crack prostitution ring – 5 December 2007

BBC – Dubai authorities smash vice ring – 5 December 2007

Gulf News – Police smash huge prostitution ring – 5 December 2007

Reuters – Dubai police make biggest prostitution bust – 5 December 2007