Yasothon: Central Investigation Police raided a gang of transgender women who lured boys, filmed obscene clips, and created content to sell to secret groups. Officers from the Human Trafficking Suppression Division searched 8 target areas in Yasothon and Khon Kaen provinces and arrested 7 transgender women aged 17-23 on warrants for ‘colluding by agreement of two or more persons to commit human trafficking by procuring, buying, selling, distributing, bringing from or sending to any place, detaining, arranging for accommodation or receiving children for the purpose of exploiting them illegally by producing or distributing obscene media.’ A search of the residence of one of the suspects in Yasothon province found a room used for filming clips and seized 8 mobile phones used to distribute obscene media. The phones contained many private clips of male victims. The suspects were questioned and confessed.

According to Thai News Agency, the investigation officers searched for news about the suppression of human tra
fficking and related offenses through online channels and social media related to inviting people to join secret groups via X platforms. They found a transgender network in Yasothon Province that roamed around looking for victims, luring and inviting boys to Morlam performances in Yasothon Province and nearby provinces. When the victims believed it, they would take them to commit indecent acts and secretly record clips. Then, they would take the sample images in the clips to post advertisements inviting people to join secret groups that disseminate child pornography. The network divided up the tasks, with suspects 1-3 committing indecent acts, recording clips, and using them to advertise and invite people to join secret groups via their own X platforms. Suspects 4-7 helped advertise and invite people, and reposted sample images in clips and messages inviting people to join the secret groups on the X platforms of suspects 1-3. Suspects 4-7 also recorded their own pornographic video clips and posted them for sa
le. To join the secret groups of the network, a payment was required before joining the group. From examining the pornographic media video clips in the LINE group, it was also found that 3 transgender women secretly recorded the video together committing indecent acts and then posted it in the secret group in order to profit from the video clips by collecting admission fees. The officers then collected evidence and requested arrest warrants from the court for all 7 individuals.

Police warn parents to keep an eye on their children who go to Morlam performances or other performances, as they may fall victim to scammers who lure their children into committing indecent acts or making clips to create content for sale online. They should also keep an eye on their children’s use of various media, including providing them with knowledge about social media to prevent their children from falling victim.