For law enforcement to move on to the location, they needed strong evidence that the boys were underage. The exodus road Matt Parker found a clue written out in the form of a tattoo. In some countries in Southeast Asia, it’s common to get a tattoo of your birth year. One of the boys in the spa had a large tattoo of a year that indicated he was likely a minor. That’s one of the pieces of evidence that gave officers what they needed to move on the location. Law enforcement entered the spa, arresting three men who were trafficking and abusing the boys. The teenagers were afraid at first, certain that they’d be in trouble because they were in Thailand without proper paperwork. But police reassured them that they were victims of a crime and that they’d be treated with dignity.
Now, the boys are being repatriated to their home country. The traffickers are facing prison. And the landlord who gave the tip can stand validated in his choice to say something when he sees something strange. The power of community testimony like that is part of why The Exodus Road educates communities in Thailand. Because of one man’s choice to speak up and because of the way you propel The Exodus Road’s teams forward, five teenage boys are free today!