"Claimed to be legal surrogates"… Thai women detained at Georgia 'Egg Farm'

After Seeing an SNS Post Promising "High Income,"
Victims Traveled Abroad
Chinese Criminal Organization Behind the Scheme...
Eggs Forcibly Extracted Every Month

It has been alleged that 100 Thai women who were deceived by a recruitment notice claiming to be looking for legal surrogates and traveled to Georgia were confined and had their eggs extracted by a Chinese criminal organization.

On the 6th (local time), media outlets such as the Bangkok Post and The Nation reported that the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women in Thailand sent an urgent appeal to the Thai government on the 3rd. The foundation claimed at a press conference that more than 100 Thai women were being held captive at an illegal human trafficking farm in Georgia operated by a Chinese criminal organization and were having their eggs extracted. This facility is known as a so-called "human egg farm." The foundation demanded cooperation with China to crack down on this criminal organization.

The foundation explained that the victims were deceived by job postings they saw on social networking services (SNS) and went to Georgia. The postings promised that surrogate mothers for infertile couples in Georgia would be paid 400,000 baht (about 17 million KRW) to 600,000 baht (about 25 million KRW). They also advertised that passports, airline tickets, hotel accommodations, and other travel expenses would all be covered. The posting manager added, "Surrogacy activities in Georgia are legal."

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In August last year, 10 Thai women who saw the postings headed to Georgia. However, when the victims arrived locally, the actual situation was completely different from the postings. The criminal organization had the victims stay at a hotel for three days upon arrival and took them to various locations. But afterward, they were taken to accommodations where their passports were confiscated. The criminal organization managed four houses where more than 100 Thai women were staying. The women there were given monthly ovulation-stimulating injections and had their eggs extracted.

The Pavena Foundation believes that the criminal organization illegally sold the eggs collected in this manner. Moreover, some victims did not receive any compensation for egg extraction. When some victims said they wanted to leave, the criminal organization said, "You must pay 50,000 to 70,000 baht (about 2 to 3 million KRW) for travel, food, and living expenses." Because most victims could not afford this money, they had to remain confined.

One of the victims, Ms. A, was able to return to Thailand in September last year after her family paid a ransom. Ms. A said, "It felt like being in hell while I was there," and added, "I was treated like I was not human and had my eggs extracted every month, which harmed my health." The Thai police, in cooperation with Interpol, rescued some victims on the 30th of last month.

The Pavena Foundation continues to urge the rescue of the remaining women trapped in Georgia and the crackdown on the Chinese criminal organization. The foundation warned, "Do not easily trust anything before working overseas and check carefully," adding, "There is practically no easy job that yields high income. Once you go there, you may never have a chance to return home."