Police in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam’s Central Highlands, have raided a local massage facility, detaining two suspects and rescuing seven underage girls who were forced to provide sexual massage services to guests. 

In their raid at Mai Thy massage parlor and motel in Gia Lai’s Phu Thien District on Friday, local police arrested 40-year-old Trinh Thi Mai and 38-year-old Tran Minh Chung, for investigation into the charges of ‘human trafficking’ and ‘illegal detention of people.'

Two other men were also found to have involvement in the case, namely Le Van Nghiem, 31, hailing from Dak Lak Province, and Che Thanh Long, 19, from Binh Dinh Province.

During the raid, the police rescued seven teenage girls, aged 13-16, who had been coerced to offer sexual massage services to guests at the parlor.

According to initial reports, Mai and Chung jointly opened this massage and motel business early this year, serving guests with ticket prices ranging between VND250,000 and VND1 million (US$10.05-40.2)

Through a partner of hers, Mai bought the seven teen girls, aged 13-16, from some karaoke and massage parlors in southern Binh Duong Province.

These minors are natives of different localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Tien Giang and Binh Dinh Provinces.

The woman paid a total of VND300 million ($12,050) for the human purchase, according to VnExpress.

Mai kept the girls on the fourth floor of the motel under the watch of Long as security guard, and compelled them to provide her customers with sexual massage services at their request.

Mai set a rule that any girl found to attempt to flee from the parlor would be fined VND10-20 million ($402-804).

In August 2022, one of these girls managed to make a phone call to her family in southern Tien Giang Province to report her case and ask for help.

After receiving a notice from Tien Giang police, their colleagues in Gia Lai launched an investigation and conducted the raid.

Six of the rescued girls have been sent back home while the other is staying at the Gia Lai Province social welfares center, waiting for her relatives to complete necessary procedures to take her home, local police reported.

Investigators are expanding their probe into the case.

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