Two men charged with trafficking in 11 foreign women for sexual exploitation

TAIPING: Two men were charged in the Sessions Court today with 11 counts of trafficking in foreign women for sexual exploitation since four years ago.
M. Suresh, 26, and Loh Soon Aun, 58, both from Penang, pleaded not guilty to the charges, read to them separately in Tamil and Hokkien, before judge Mohd Sabri Ismail.
Suresh was charged with six counts of human trafficking, involving six Thai women between the ages of 23 and 42, at V Class Enterprise, Pusat Bandar Fasa 2, near Parit Buntar here since May, 2012, until May this year.
The charge, under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, provides an imprisonment for up to 15 years, and is liable to fine, if found guilty.
Loh, the caretaker of Pusat Kecantikan Vistana Beauty & Spa near Kuala Kurau, was charged with five counts of human trafficking, involving four Thai women and a Laotian woman, aged between 22 and 41, at the premises since 2013 until July this year.
Loh was charged under Section 13 of the same law which provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years, and liable to fine, if found guilty.
The court allowed Suresh bail of RM48,000 with six sureties, while the bail for Loh was set at RM50,000 with five sureties. The court also set Sept 23 for mention.
The prosecution was conducted by DPP Muhammad Fauzi Md Yusof. Suren and Loh were unrepresented. — Bernama