Court told of bid to sell runaway maid online

A maid encouraged to abscond from her sponsor for a better paying job found herself being told to work in prostitution – and was offered for sale on WhatsApp when she refused, Dubai Criminal Court heard.

Records show that the Ethiopian arrived in Abu Dhabi in October last year. Eight months later she and an Indonesian maid went to Dubai.

“She said we could make up to Dh3,000 a day,” the Ethiopian said. “I asked her what kind of job that was but she never gave me details.”

In June, the women were picked up from their sponsor’s home by the two Bangladeshi defendants, who took them to a flat in Al Karma area in Dubai.

The next day, she said, the defendants bought her clothes.

“When I saw them I panicked. They were all short and indecent,” the woman said.

“I asked what kind of work, and they said prostitution. I refused, no matter what they did or said, I refused.”

It is alleged the men then sent WhatsApp messages to customers offering an Ethiopian maid for sale for Dh3,500.

“We were tipped off about the message and a police officer contacted the defendants,” said a police lieutenant. “He agreed on Dh3,400 and they met in Al Karma park.”

He said that when three men arrived to meet the undercover policeman, two of them were arrested while the third fled.

Both men have denied charges of human trafficking and facilitating prostitution. The next hearing will be on October 8.