Five Pinoys behind 'Facebook trafficking' in UAE get jail terms

A United Arab Emirates court on Wednesday imposed jail terms on four Filipinas and one Filipino for using Facebook as a human trafficking tool and forcing their female Facebook friends into prostitution. The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced one of the Filipinas to five years in jail, and the four others to three years each, according to a report on Gulf News. Once they serve their jail terms, they will be deported to the Philippines. However, the defendants pleaded not guilty and maintained their innocence. They can appeal the judgement within 15 days. Befriending Filipinas on Facebook The investigation showed that the four Filipinas — aged 24 to 39 — and the 23-year-old Filipino, befriended Filipinas on Facebook and promised them jobs in Dubai. A separate report on Gulf News Xpress said the 39-year-old Filipina was also called "Mama Sang" (pimp). Among the jobs the gang offered to the Filipinas were saleswomen, waitresses, and cleaners. However, once the victims arrived, the defendants allegedly kept their passports, confined them and sexually exploited them. Court records showed that they also forced them to have sex with strangers, and even beat and threatened them. At least five women aged 21 to 30 were victims of this racket, prosecutors said. The Gulf News Xpress report said the five victims were locked up in an apartment in Al Muraqqaba. "We made a pact one night that if one of us were to escape, that person must call the police," one of the victims told the court. That night, one of the girls indeed escaped and contacted the police, who arrested the five suspects. On the other hand, prosecutors said a number of other suspects remain at large.  - VVP, GMA News