CONVICTING 13 women from the Philippines, Cambodian authorities handed down prison sentences for their involvement in a human trafficking scheme, where they acted as surrogates for foreigners.
The Kandal Provincial Court sentenced each woman to four years in prison on charges of selling, buying, or exchanging people for cross-border transfer.
Two of those years were suspended, meaning the sentences would not be enforced unless they committed another crime.
Currently held at a police hospital near Phnom Penh, the women are not required to serve their sentences until after giving birth. The court confirmed they have the right to appeal the verdict.
However, the number of women still pregnant, as well as the fate of the babies, remains unclear.
The surrogacy operation was unusual, as the women were transported to Cambodia instead of being employed within their own country.
Authorities revealed that the business was based in Thailand, and the women’s food and accommodation were arranged there.
The women were arrested in late September during a raid on a villa in Kandal province, where 20 Filipinos and four Vietnamese were found.
While eleven women were deported, the remaining 13 were charged under Cambodia’s law against human trafficking and sexual exploitation, which was updated in 2016 to prohibit commercial surrogacy.
This case is part of a broader issue in Cambodia, which has faced criticism for human trafficking, particularly with online scams and forced labor.
The country became a popular surrogacy destination after restrictions in neighboring Thailand, India, and Nepal.