Thai police arrested a Belgian man on pedophilia charges and a Thai national accused of supplying him with underage children in an illegal trafficking ring, an officer said Thursday.
Philippe Francois, 41, was arrested Wednesday evening at his apartment in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where he had allegedly engaged in sexual acts with at least three teenagers, two of whom were minors, said police Lt. Col. Chaichan Penchaiya.
Police also arrested Suchai Beowtoo, a 21-year-old Thai man who allegedly procured boys for the Belgian for a fee of 1,000 baht (about $30) each. He faces charges of luring minors for sexual exploitation, Chaichan said.
The two men would allegedly meet at bars in Chiang Mai where Francois would choose boys from pictures brought by Suchai.
The case was brought to police attention in April when a 13-year-old filed a complaint against Francois. An arrest warrant was issued for the Belgian in May. He is also accused of sexual relations with a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old, who is not a minor but could be part of an eventual human trafficking case, Chaichan said.
"We believe that his agent Suchai is part of a larger network of human trafficking groups," Chaichan said. Police arrested a British national and two Thais in April that were part of the group Suchai allegedly works with.
"They were caught providing boys mostly to tourists," Chaichan said.
An organization called the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Unit Northern Thailand says there are at least a half dozen known child trafficking units in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and neighboring Chiang Rai.
"These agents lure homeless children to their homes and sometimes violate them themselves," said Duen Wongsa, of the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Unit. "Then they look for Thai and foreign buyers."
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