Wedding services used as front for trafficking

A Moroccan woman who holds an investor visa is accused of human trafficking and forcing a compatriot into prostitution, the Dubai Criminal Court heard. NL, 26, is also accused by the Dubai Prosecution of pleasing men for money.

According to the records, NL arranged to bring GS, 23, from Morocco on a work visa for a wedding services company and received her at the airport on May 7.

“I accidently met NL in Morocco. She claimed to me that she has a garment shop and offered me to work in a wedding services company. I agreed and handed her over a copy of my passport.

“I also handed Dh20,000, the cost of the visa, to her mother in Morocco who said she would transfer the amount to NL, who would in turn hand it over to the owner of the company.

“At the airport NL told me that we will go to her house for me to rest and then she will take me to work,” testified GS.

"The taxi stopped at a building in Al Muhaisna area. Upon reaching home, she asked me for my passport claiming that my sponsor asked her to do so.

“I gave her my passport and waited for her to take me to the work for 15 days. I was only accompanying NL shopping and she was paying for my expenses.

“A man called Hatem used to visit NL everyday. She told me that he is my sponsor and that he has my passport.

"As I was not offered the promised job, I expressed a willingness to go back to my home country and asked for my passport,” she testified.

NL refused to hand GS her passport and instead she threatened that she will notify the police about her asking for her passport.

“She beat me with the wooden pipe of the sheesha and asked me to work as a prostitute. As I refused she locked me in the room until I submitted to her order. She used to bring one or two men every day.
“She collected between Dh1000 to Dh1,500 from every customer. Twice she accompanied me to hotels where she asked me to please men.

“One day I complained to one of the men, but instead of helping me he notified her. She gave me Dh500 to send to my mother and to tell her that this money is from my work."

NL moved houses for fear of being tracked by the police.

 “One day I decided to deceive her and run away. I told her that I needed to call my sister in Morocco and that I needed to go and buy telephone credit. After a lot of persuasion, she allowed me to go down. I reached Al Ghusais Police Station and lodged a complaint that she forced me into prostitution and that she herself works as a prostitute as she takes men into her room and locks the door,” she testified.

While police were searching for the house accompanied the complainant, she got a phone call from the accused, testified First Sergeant Sami Ali.

The complainant told her that she is on her way back home, but later told her that she was going to City Centre.

The police waited until NL let her home and then arrested her.

She initially denied the accusation but later admitted to working as a prostitute.

However, she denied forcing the complainant into prostitution and told the police that GS told her that she came on a work visa as a cover up to work in prostitution.

She claimed that she was just sharing accommodation with her upon her sponsor’s request, testified the police officer.

Ahmad Mohammed. 48, Emirati, employee and owner of a Sharjah-based wedding services company testified that he asked NL for a Moroccan woman to work in the company. She told him that she knows a neighbour who is in financial need and respectable.

“I asked her to send me her passport to issue her a visa and after two weeks I met NL who was accompanied with a man who handed me the passport copy.

“The visa was issued and when later I enquired whether she arrived, I was told that she stays with NL. I asked the man to arrange for her medical checkup and labour contract and so he did.

“I arranged the issue of her labour card with the Ministry of Labour and her passport was handed over to the Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department to fix the residency visa. I am surprised that she complained to the police and that there was a problem,” he testified.

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