Major human trafficking gang racket busted in Hyderabad; 18 organisers held

Hyderabad, Dec 6 (Agency) The Cyberabad police has busted a human trafficking gang racket by arresting 18 organisers who allegedly trafficked more than 14,000 victims for prostitution , use of drugs like MDMA and other criminal acts. All the human traffickers, who were arrested from different parts of the country under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, procured women from different places across India, mainly from West Bengal and Karnataka, besides from Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Russia, Cyberabad police said here on Tuesday. The offenders procured women and posted advertisements on websites, contacted customers through call centers and WhatsApp, and facilitate customers to reach the victims and indulged in prostitution in different hotels rooms and collected money, Cyberabad Police Commissioner M.Stephen Raveendra said.

The accused operated call centres from New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad while transactions were either cash or through phonepe, Paytm and through other apps. The women victims were paid 30 per cent of the amount collected from the customers while the remaining amount pocketed by the organisers and other stakeholders. “The organisers earn anywhere between 50 percent and 70 per cent profit on every customer,” he said. Around 50 per cent of the women victims were from West Bengal, 20 percent from karnataka, 15 per cent from Maharashtra, 7 percent from Delhi , 5 per cent from other states, he said. Special teams formed and arrested 18 people from November 15 till date after collecting information from the victims and various other sources, he said. Women are promised a luxurious life and trapped. Sometimes they are given MDMA drugs and forced to succumb to the demand of the organisers. Many women and girls are from poor economic backgrounds and a few from families facing hardship,” he added.