Five Teen Girls From Thailand Rescued From Their Bondage -- Letter's Plea Leads N.Y. Police To A Chinese Gang, Brothel

NEW YORK - Five teenage girls from Thailand smuggled into the United States and then kidnapped, tortured and forced into sexual slavery to pay off their debt to a Chinese gang are now free from bondage.

They were rescued Tuesday by New York City's 72nd Precinct anti-crime team, revealing another layer in a mysterious human smuggling and slavery trade that spans more than 8,000 miles.

"Some of these girls were beaten into submission," one law-enforcement source said. "They've only been here a few days, and two of them are absolutely frightened."

It was a desperate plea for help in the form of a 13-line handwritten letter that led police Tuesday to a converted storefront in the heart of Brooklyn's bustling Asian community in Sunset Park.

"Please come and help us. Hurry. Please! Please. Help us," the note said. "They just started to beat us up and burn us with cigarettes."

The letter was the silent cry of a girl named "Anna." It was delivered to police by a customer who grew concerned for her safety, police said.

Anna told police yesterday that she had been flown from Thailand to the United States with several other young girls, gaining entry with phony work visas provided by a Chinese gang.

She arrived in New York City 10 days ago, thinking she would pay off her $10,000 debt by working in a restaurant kitchen or legal massage parlor, investigators said.

Instead, Anna told police she was pistol-whipped, urinated on and forced to have sex with customers steered to the brothel by gang members.

Customers paid $120 an hour to be with the girls, sources said. The girls were supposed to entertain at least 500 customers before being set free.

Hours after reading the letter, police set up surveillance of the brothel.

The rescue caught the attention of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

"There is a new hot commodity in town, and they are Thai prostitutes," said one INS investigator.

Because the women are smuggled with fake U.S. visas issued in Thailand, officials at the State Department said they are now involved in the investigation to determine how the false immigration documents were issued.

Anna cooperated with investigators, but the other girls would not, fearing retaliation by gang members.

Police arrested two suspected gang members and charged each with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, promoting prostitution and assault.