An 80-year-old Norwegian man who financially supported a Muay Thai boxing camp in Rayong and was accused of sexually abusing boys there died two days before police raided the camp and arrested its supervisor, authorities said on Thursday.
Investigators said the Norwegian, known as Kim (not his real name), had reportedly funded the camp’s operations and was later implicated in the sexual exploitation of children residing at the camp.
The man died of natural causes just two days before officers from Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) carried out their search.
Police arrested Naruebet “Check” Nilthai, 28, supervisor of the boxing camp, on Tuesday. Social Development and Human Security officials from Rayong and Chon Buri provinces joined in the raid.
Mr Naruebet was charged with human trafficking for the purpose of exploiting minors for prostitution, including procuring, transporting and facilitating the prostitution of children aged over 15 but under 18, and operating or managing a prostitution business.
The arrest came after investigators received information that operators of a Muay Thai boxing camp had forced underage male boxers into prostitution for male clients in exchange for financial gain.
Pol Maj Gen Withaya Sriprasertparp, the ATPD commander, said on Tuesday that Mr Naruebet supervised the camp where there were about 30 Thai and foreign boxing trainees aged 18 to 35. He reportedly procured some of the young boxers for male clients.
Authorities interviewed 12 children to determine whether they had been victims of human trafficking. They gave consistent accounts that Kim, the Norwegian national, regularly financed the camp’s operations.
According to their statements, whenever the Norwegian visited the camp, a female secretary called boys to meet him in a reception room. They alleged that they were subjected to sexual abuse during those encounters.
They told investigators that Kim would pay them between 500 and 5,000 baht after each encounter and instruct them not to disclose what had occurred.
A multidisciplinary investigative team concluded that six children were victims of sexual abuse committed by Kim.
However, police subsequently learned that the Norwegian man had died from an existing medical condition two days before the camp was raided.
