Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble is back in action after a brief lull following his transfer from the social service branch a few months ago.

Dhoble, currently posted as ACP (Vakola division), along with staff from the Vakola police station raided a residential flat at Diamond Park building in Vakola on Wednesday and rescued three women from the flesh trade. The police also arrested the woman who was operating the prostitution den, along with the pimp and seized Rs. 11,000 in cash during the raid.

The police received a tip-off that the flat in a residential building was being used for prostitution, after which the raid was carried out around 6.30pm.

"We were informed that a sex racket was operating in the building for at least a year-and-a-half following which we sent a decoy," Dhoble said.

The rescued women are in the age group 20 and 25 years. The 44-year-old conductor was only identified as Aarti and the pimp has been identified as Vishal. The ownership of the flat is being ascertained, Dhoble said. The police have booked Aarti and Vishal under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking (PITA) Act.

At Colaba, assistant commissioner of police (Colaba division) Shivaji Kolekar conducted a similar raid around 9.30pm on a 2000sqft residential flat at Daulatram Mansion on Salgaonkar Road in south Mumbai and rescued five women from there. Kolekar said, "We received a tip-off about some suspicious activity going on at the flat, after which we raided the place and rescued five women. A pimp has been arrested, while two other persons are on the run."

The rescued women are between 20 to 29 years of age and the pimp has been identified as Ravi Gupta alias Mohammed Kutty.

The Vanrai police, too, carried out raid on two bars at Goregaon (East). Raids were carried out at the Jagdamba bar and Durga bar following which seven persons were held. A manager and two women were arrested from the bar.