Dubai is often seen as a city of glamour, wealth, and luxury.
The truth behind Dubai’s illicit sex trade
But behind the skyscrapers and designer brands lies a darker world.
A new BBC investigation has exposed how Charles Mwesigwa, a Ugandan man, is at the centre of a major sex trafficking network in Dubai .
Mwesigwa, also known as “Abbey,” is accused of luring vulnerable women—many from Uganda—into Dubai with promises of regular jobs in supermarkets or hotels.
Instead, they were allegedly forced into prostitution, often under violent and degrading conditions.
Survivors told reporters that women were trapped with fake debts, forced to sleep with wealthy men, and even subjected to extreme fetishes.
One victim, known as “Mia,” said that Mwesigwa demanded she owed him thousands of dollars for flights, visas, and housing.
“That means you have to work hard, hard, hard, pleading for men to come and sleep [with] you,” she explained .
Who is Charles ‘Abbey’ Mwesigwa?
According to the BBC, Mwesigwa once worked as a London bus driver before moving to Dubai.
Now, he reportedly charges up to $1,000 (about R18,000) per night per woman, with additional fees for “extreme requests” .
Victims claim that Mwesigwa houses dozens of women in cramped apartments, treating them “like a market.”
Some of his clients, described mostly as wealthy foreign men, are accused of requesting humiliating acts, including violence and defecation on the women.
The investigation also revealed that at least two young Ugandan women linked to his network—Monica Karungi and Kayla Birungi—fell to their deaths from Dubai high-rise apartments.
Officially ruled suicides, their families believe these deaths were suspicious and not properly investigated .
Mwesigwa, however, denies all allegations. He insists he only helps women find accommodation and that they “flock to his table” at parties because of his wealthy contacts .
Uganda’s growing unemployment crisis is pushing many young women to seek jobs abroad.
Activists warn that this desperation is being exploited by traffickers. Mariam Mwiza, a Ugandan activist, says she has helped rescue more than 700 people across the Gulf who were tricked into sex work .
Families of the victims say they now live in fear that other young women will face the same fate.
“We are all looking at Monic’s death,” said a relative, “but who is there for the girls still alive? They’re still there. Still suffering” .
The BBC says Dubai police did not respond to questions about the deaths or the allegations against Mwesigwa.