The Chinese press reported on Wednesday that Chinese police have broken up a trafficking ring. The traffickers face charges of encouraging North Korean women to defect and then selling them in to prostitution or indentured slavery.

The traffickers are said to have been from China and North Korea. Diplomats have reported that it's unprecendented for the Chinese press to give so much coverage to the trafficking of North Koreans.

Yanji, Jilin Province was the location of the bust. 4 foreigners and 1 Chinese person were said to have been arrested by local police. 12 North Korean women were found to have been sold to various parts of China. They have since been returned to North Korea.

Some North Korean sources have commented that this could mean exectution or imprisonment for the women involved, the Chosun Ilbo reports.

The trafficking ring are said to have smuggled at least 20 women. They were paid 10,000 to 15,000 yuan per woman. The traffickers based in North Korea that assisted in the selling are said to have been paid 3,000 to 5,000 yuan.

When police raided the premises that the traffickers were working out of, nine North Korean women were found. They were detained there by the traffickers in three rooms and they were made to perform sexual acts over the internet.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo