Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced an African man and a woman to three years in jail to be followed by deportation on charges of luring another African woman and forcing her to work as a prostitute.

In the same session, the court sentenced the African defendant to additional six months after being convicted of working as a prostitute.

The case dates back to August last year when an African woman filed a complaint in which she stated that she had been kept inside a Dubai apartment and forced to work as a prostitute.

The victim stated in the investigations that a fellow woman and friend brought her from her home country to work as a maid for a Dubai family to help her own family and her blind mother.

She further said that her friend had paid the visit visa expenses and airfares.

The victim went on to say that her friend and another man were waiting for her upon her arrival at the airport and took her later to an apartment in which a number of women were living.

The victim was later told by her friend that she would be working as a prostitue, and when she refused, the defendant threatened that she would be assaulted by a group of men if she continued to refuse work.

The victim added in the investigations that she managed to run away while being transported to another emirate and asked for help from a pedestrian who accompanied her to a police station to report the crime.

Following intensive investigations and after gathering inferences a team of detectives were able to identify the suspects.

A policeman stated in the investigations that a trap was set to catch the suspects red-handed. Accordingly, he communicated with the defendant and agreed with her to have sex for Dhs50.

The policeman arrived at the agreed time and arrested the suspect who confessed to be engaged in prostitution.

She also led the police to the other suspect but on interrogation, they denied the human trafficking charges.