A CRUEL people trafficker who forced young Thai women to work as sex slaves at a Wanstead brothel has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Atchara Nualpenyai, of Perth Road, Gants Hill, appeared at Croydon Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to controlling prostitution and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

The 30-year-old also pleaded guilty to possessing Class A drugs.

Officers identified two main premises rented by Nualpenyai that were used as brothels - in affluent Wanstead High Street and beneath her Gants Hill flat.

A police operation, codenamed Leonberger, was launched in December last year after a victim contacted police.

The woman, in her 20s, had been trafficked from Thailand to the UK at the end of 2005 and forced to work as a prostitute to pay off a debt bondage of £27,000.

Prices ranged from £30 for 10 minutes to £100 for a one-hour service.

Enquiries have revealed Nualpenyai transferred approximately £8,000 cash to an account in Thailand. A financial investigation is currently ongoing.