International Prostitution Racket Busted at New Delhi Airport; 37 Girls Rescued

The Social Service Branch (SSB) of Mumbai police rescued 37 sex workers from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, DNA reported.

The girls, who were a part of a high profile international sex racket, were being trafficked to Dubai and were about to board a flight when the SSB officials with the help of Delhi police nabbed the pimps and rescued the girls.

Most of them were brought from Mumbai and the rest from Hyderabad. They were all in their early twenties and were allegedly forced into the flesh trade.

"The women were being taken there on a three month work visa stating that they are artists. Most of the women are aged between 20-25," BG Shekhar of SSB, who headed the team, told the daily.

"Some of them are from Hyderabad and other states. Around 27 of the rescued women are from Mumbai," he said.

The police recieved a tip-off about the racket through a complaint filed by one of the victims.

"One of the victims had lodged a complaint with us that she has been induced on the pretext of dance performance to gulf countries. After detailed investigation and follow up we succeeded in rescuing the girls and have arrested the pimps," Shekhar said.

The two pimps have been held and the rescued girls have been sent to a shelter in Mumbai after medical examination.

During the recent raids at brothels all across the country, several such rackets have been busted. Police claimed that the latest incident at the airport is the biggest bust so far.

Last month, another such prostitution racket was busted in Shillong, where nearly seven women from Assam and three men were held from a hotel during a raid.

Earlier this year in February, seven sex workers were rescued in central Delhi. Their 40-year-old pimp was arrested by police.

In January, six women allegedly involved in two prostitution rackets in Bangalore were arrested by a squad of Central Crime Branch.

In a similar bust in Mysore, six men were arrested and four girls, including one from Bangladesh and one from Nepal, were rescued during a raid in April this year.