Thai people trafficker brought young woman to the UK and forced her into life of drugs and prostitution

Jailed: drug dealer and people trafficker Pimnapat Rukkhaseranee
Metropolitan Police
Hannah Al-Othman20 May 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A female drug dealer who trafficked a young woman into the UK from Thailand and forced her into prostitution has been jailed for four years.

Thai national, Pimnapat Rukkhaseranee, 37, met her 28-year-old victim at a UK airport on June 23, 2013, accompanied by her associate Lucas Skarbonkiewicz.

The pair took the young woman to an address in Westbourne Terrace, W2, and forced her to perform sex acts with men in order to pay off the "debt" she owed to the traffickers for bringing her into the UK.

The victim was forced into drugs, and was told she owed £33,000 for her travel, documents and passport.

She was also charged £400 per week for rental of her west London room, and for food.

The victim was forced into having unprotected sex and when she eventually became pregnant, Rukkhaseranee gave her drugs to terminate the pregnancy.

When she asked how much of her debt had been paid, Rukkhaseranee, who was also dealing drugs from the address, would claim that the victim's clients had not paid and that the amount of her debt had increased.

The victim's passport had also been taken from her, and when she asked for it she was told that it had been lost or had been kept by the police.

Any extra cash given to the victim by her customers was also taken from her and kept by Rukkhaseranee.

On 28 June 2013, Rukkhaseranee was arrested by police for an unrelated matter after officers visited Westbourne Terrace in response to a complaint from a resident.

A search of her flat had revealed a Thai passport in the name of the victim.

Almost a year later, on July 16, 2014, police were called by the manager of the Shaftesbury Premier Hotel on Westbourne Terrace, after residents at the hotel found a box of drugs hidden in a wardrobe.

The last resident of the room, who was staying in a different room within the hotel, was Skarbonkiewicz.

Convicted: associate Lucas Skarbonkiewicz
Metropolitan Police

Police then searched Skarbonkiewicz’s hotel room and found he had three suitcases containing drug paraphernalia, as well as a large quantity of empty transparent snap bags and wraps of cling film.

He was also in possession of several of laptops and mobile phones, designer handbags and £8,070 in cash.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply.

Shortly after the arrest, Rukkhaseranee was stopped by officers as tried to get into the hotel room where Skarbonkiewicz had been found.

A search of her handbag revealed drugs paraphernalia and an iPad, as well as £850 in £50 notes.

Rukkhaseranee also had a card key to the room where the hotel guests had discovered the hidden box of drugs.

She was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

On January 16 last year, Rukkhanseranee was charged with people trafficking and controlling prostitution, and she was later charged with possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Rukkhanseranee, of York Street, was found guilty of the offences following a trial at a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

She was sentenced on Thursday at the same court to four years imprisonment for people trafficking into the UK, controlling prostitution and possession of drugs with intent to supply.

When her sentence is spent, Rukkhaseranee will be deported to Thailand.

Co-defendant Lucas Skarbonkiewicz, 32, was convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs at Southwark Crown Court in April.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Monday, June 20.

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