Police bust trafficking racket

The Pune police claim to have busted a racket in trafficking of Bangladeshi minors, who are then forced into flesh trade, reports Satyajit Joshi.

The Pune police claim to have busted a racket in trafficking of Bangladeshi minors, who are then forced into flesh trade.

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Acting on a tip-off, the Faraskhana police on Monday raided a brothel in Budhwar Peth, Pune’s redlight area, and rescued five Bangladeshi girls who were forced into prostitution.

They also arrested Ratan Noormohmmad Khan (35) and Momin Gafoor Khan (25), both residents of Tarapur district in Bangladesh, and the brothel owner, Suman Nair (35).

Police Sub-Inspector Vimal Bidwe said: “They have all been charged under the Immoral Trafficking Act and remanded to police custody till January 12. As Ratan and Momin had expired visas, action has also initiated against them under the Foreign Citizens Act.”

Promising the girls jobs in India, Ratan and Momin had allegedly slipped them into the country without any valid documents like passports and visas, the police said.

The duo first put up the girls in Mumbai at Ratan’s maternal aunt’s place Rukiya Salim Kazi (40), who the police suspect is the main racketeer.

She too was arrested and remanded to police custody till January 15.

Bidwe said: “Kazi had made several calls from her cellphone to Bangladesh. We are yet to confirm if she is also a Bangladesh national. We are checking if her PAN card and railway pass are genuine.”

The girls were allegedly sold for Rs 60,000 each and brought to Pune on January 9.