Massage parlour at centre of human-trafficking scam now under investigation for other offences
AN ONGOING probe has uncovered evidence that Victoria’s: The Secret Forever massage parlour, which is now at the centre of a human-trafficking and prostitution scandal, might have illegally used groundwater.
Police yesterday brought along officials from the Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR) to inspect the embattled entertainment venue in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district. Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division deputy commander Pol Colonel Suwat Intasit said preliminary tests showed water samples from Victoria’s were of a different quality to tap water provided by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority. “In Bangkok, if you want to use groundwater, you have to seek a permit,” he said, adding that failure to do so is a legal offence. If convicted, offenders face up to six months in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt20,000. Suwat said the last time a permit was sought for the venue was in 2003 by a previous owner, not the current one. He said that pollution-control officials were also inspecting Victoria’s to determine if it violated laws regarding wastewater treatment and discharge.
Meanwhile, Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahamanakul instructed police to collect water used at all other massage parlours in Bangkok by last night. In regard to records showing that a superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) received services at Victoria’s between 7.30pm and 10pm on January 10, the MPB ordered that all its superintendents submit a report on the allegation by noon tomorrow. On January 12, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the military raided into the Victoria’s and found evidence of alleged illegal activities. DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said that his agency had already asked the Anti-Money Laundering Office to probe Victoria’s financial transactions and freeze relevant bank accounts.
