The Baleswar police have busted a major sex racket by arresting 13 persons, including traffickers and pimps, involved in the crime during raids in the district and in West Bengal. The cops also rescued six women, including two Bangladeshis, during the raids.
Baleswar SP SagarikaNath on Tuesday said the accused persons were booked under Sections 366B, 368, 370, 34 of IPC and 5 and 6 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
She said police unearthed the racket after they initiated an investigation based on information from a West Bengal-based NGO which alleged that women from the 24 Parganas were trafficked to Odisha for immoral purposes.
“After getting information, police teams were formed and they initially zeroed in on a house at Basta. Police apprehended a couple who were residing in the house under fictitious names. During the couple’s interrogation, the involvement of others was ascertained. Further raids were conducted in Singla and Khordha. Out of the six rescued victims, two prima facie appeared to be Bangladeshis. The victims were lured to the flesh trade with the promise of better-quality life,” Nath said.
Two separate cases were registered under the Basta and the Singla police stations. Further, the accused instrumental in preparing fake identity proofs for the victims would be booked under the Foreigners Act,1946 and Aadhaar Act, 2016, added the SP.