Georgia: Chinese gang allegedly held 100 Thai women at ‘egg farm’
‘Egg farm’ discovered in Georgia
Thai newspaper The Nation reports that the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women recently rescued three Thai women from an “egg farm” in Georgia, allegedly run by a Chinese criminal syndicate. According to the outlet, this is part of a large-scale human trafficking operation.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry has launched an investigation based on a letter received from Interpol in Bangkok.
What is known about the ‘egg farm’?
According to the Thai Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, around 100 Thai women were lured to Georgia by members of a criminal group posing as surrogacy agents.
As part of the scheme, the women were promised roles as surrogate mothers for foreign couples, with payments ranging from 400,000 to 600,000 Thai baht ($12,000–17,000).
However, upon arrival in Georgia, they were taken to an isolated residential complex and forced to undergo monthly egg retrieval procedures. The extracted eggs were likely sent abroad for use in in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Victims of the scheme were subjected to monthly hormone treatments and invasive medical procedures to stimulate egg production, posing serious health risks. According to The Nation, those who refused were threatened with imprisonment and told they could only leave the scheme by paying a large sum of money.
One of the victims managed to contact her family, who helped secure her release by paying the criminal group around $2,100. She then reached out to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women for assistance.
According to her account, she was among 10 Thai women who arrived in Georgia via train from Armenia, accompanied by the group’s leader. Upon arrival, they were taken to a hotel where their passports were confiscated. The next day, they were transported to a residential complex consisting of four houses.
“The house I was taken to already had about 60 Thai women, most of whom were in poor health. The next day, I was moved to another house where I met 10 more women. Across all four houses, there were around 100 women, and we frequently saw Chinese men in the area,” she recalled.
The Nation reports that three Thai women were rescued and repatriated following a police operation coordinated by Thai authorities and Interpol.
The Pavena Foundation estimates that around 100 Thai women remain trapped in Georgia as part of the scheme. The organization has urged the Thai government to seek assistance from Chinese authorities and called on the Georgian government to intensify efforts to dismantle the trafficking network and ensure the victims’ safety.
Georgian Interior Ministry’s statement
“As soon as the investigation began, law enforcement officials carried out all necessary investigative procedures, including ordering forensic medical examinations and conducting searches in various locations. Around 70 foreign nationals were interviewed, but none, except for the three Thai women, filed any complaints.
The three women stated that they no longer wished to be surrogate mothers or remain in Georgia. On the same day, law enforcement officials transferred them to a shelter for victims of human trafficking, and after completing the necessary legal procedures, they left the country.
Police also questioned four foreign nationals who had brought Thai citizens to Georgia for surrogacy purposes.
Law enforcement officials seized their mobile phones as evidence and requested data from the devices,” the statement read.
The case is being investigated under Article 143(3) of the Georgian Criminal Code (human trafficking).
‘Egg farm’ discovered in Georgia
