A report by Bild revealed the circumstances of the operation, which came after three Thai women were freed on January 30 after being exploited for half a year. They described being held on a “human farm” in the country of Georgia, where their eggs were extracted and sold on the black market. The women were initially lured through a Facebook job offer promising a salary of €11,500 to €17,000 to work as surrogates for Georgian couples.
In August, the three women traveled to the country alongside ten others, with their expenses covered by the organization. Upon arrival, they were housed in four large properties along with around 100 other women and soon realized the job was fraudulent. Instead, they were subjected to intense hormone treatments to stimulate egg production and were forced to undergo egg retrieval procedures monthly.
One of the freed women described the conditions as treating them “like cattle,” with some women receiving no compensation at all. Those who wished to leave were told they had to pay €2,000 to their captors.
After one woman managed to buy her freedom, she contacted Pavena Hongsakula, the founder of a Thai foundation for children and women, who then alerted authorities. The Pavena Foundation collaborated with Interpol to secure the release of the three women on January 30 after paying a ransom, the Daily Mail reported.
The harvested eggs were believed to have been sold internationally for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a report by the Bangkok Post. The full extent of the trafficking operation remains unknown, and Thai authorities, along with Interpol, have launched an investigation into the matter.
