Police raid karaoke bar and find drugs and underage sex workers

Police raided a karaoke bar and found underage sex workers and illegal drugs inside in Thailand.

Police converged on the popular brothel, disguised as a bar called 'Dao Lom Duen', in Chiang Rai province on July 25, following a tip-off from an international anti-human trafficking organization that it was employing minors to do sex work.

They stormed the single-storey building early morning today, and found eight VIP karaoke rooms and a central hall with 10 tables where patrons were reportedly consuming ecstasy and ketamine with prostitutes.

Drug paraphernalia were also found at the scene.

Eight waitresses, including a 16-year-old girl, were taken into police custody after three of them tested positive for drugs.

The bar manager, identified in local reports as Tanathorn, 51, was arrested.

An investigation found that he only had a permit for alcohol sales.

Police said he will be charged with 'operating an entertainment venue without a license, employing children under 18 without notifying labour officials, encouraging children to behave inappropriately, and selling alcoholic beverages beyond legal hours.'

The manager was taken to the police station along with the seized contraband, while a multidisciplinary team interviewed the waitresses to determine if they were victims of human trafficking.

The operation was authorised by Chiang Rai Governor Puttipong Sirimat after an undercover agent verifying the tip-off found four minors working as prostitutes in the bar on July 24 evening.

After gathering evidence, police carried out the raid at 1:15 am local time on July 25.