PUBLISHED: 3 Feb 2025 at 15:29
Three Thai women have been successfully rescued from a shocking human-egg harvesting scheme operated by Chinese traffickers in Georgia, a former Soviet republic.
The rescue operation was initiated by Pavena Hongsakula, founder of a leading charitable organization dedicated to aiding children and women in distress.
Ms. Hongsakula was alerted to the situation by another victim who had recently returned to Thailand after paying the traffickers roughly 70,000 baht for her freedom.
This woman informed Ms. Hongsakula that other Thai women remained trapped at the site, unable to afford their release.
With the help of the Foreign Affairs police, under the leadership of Pol Maj Gen Surapan Thaiprasert, three additional women were safely brought back to Thailand on January 30.
During a livestream update, one of the rescued women revealed that she had come across a job advertisement promising a lucrative salary of 400,000 to 600,000 baht.
After reaching out, she was informed that the job involved becoming a surrogate mother for couples unable to conceive, which was purportedly legal in Georgia. The employer had covered her travel expenses, including passport fees.
In August, she and nearly ten others were flown to Georgia, guided by a Thai woman believed to be associated with the traffickers. Upon arrival, they found themselves taken to a compound housing at least 100 other Thai women.
Contrary to their expectations, there were no couples seeking surrogates; instead, they were administered hormones to stimulate egg production. Monthly procedures resulted in the women being anesthetized for egg retrieval, with some victims reporting they had not received any payment.
The harvested eggs were suspected to be sold and trafficked to other countries for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), as stated by Ms. Hongsakula.
Ongoing police investigations suggest that further rescues may occur in the future.
In 2024, records indicate that 257 Thais fell prey to human trafficking, with 53 identified within Thailand and 204 abroad. The organization assisted in rescuing 152 individuals.
Currently, Georgia lacks specific regulations on surrogacy, although advertisements for such services exist. The Georgian government has indicated plans to declare surrogacy illegal in the future.
