Authorities uncovered a human trafficking operation that forced Thai women into illegal egg harvesting in Georgia. According to HRRC, traffickers tricked victims with fake surrogacy job offers, promising high pay and free travel. Upon arrival, the traffickers seized their passports, locked them in overcrowded houses, and injected them with hormones to extract their eggs.
One woman escaped by paying a $2,000 ransom. After returning to Thailand, she alerted The Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, which then worked with Interpol and Thai authorities to rescue three women. However, as The Tribune reports, up to 100 women may still be trapped in similar conditions.
Thailand banned commercial surrogacy for foreign couples in 2015, but lawmakers are now considering stricter regulations to prevent exploitation. Despite the growing global demand for surrogacy, no universal laws regulate the practice. HRRC urges stronger oversight rather than a full ban, warning that underground markets could expand if governments fail to act.
Authorities continue investigating the syndicate behind this trafficking ring, pushing for international collaboration to dismantle similar networks and protect vulnerable women from exploitation.
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