Further to some news reports that 21 alleged members of a sex trafficking network involving Thai women in the United States have been arrested and charged by the US authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify as follows:

          1) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed by the Royal Thai Consulate – General in Chicago that the published news reports were based on
a press briefing held on 25 May 2017 by the US Attorney of the District of Minnesota, that the US authorities have arrested and indicted 21 defendants alleged of being members of a sex trafficking network involving Thai women in the US. These arrests are continued efforts made by the US authorities following the earlier arrests and indictment of 17 defendants of this network in October 2016.   

          2) The defendants (20 arrested and one who remains at large) will be presented to the Federal Courts in their respective states for indictment within
24 hours. They will be held in custody in their residing states and the cases will be transferred to Minnesota in due course.

          3) The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chicago has coordinated with relevant US agencies to render assistance to all Thai nationals, both the victims and those under arrest.