Flesh trade racket busted in Thane; 5 women rescued

Thane: Police have busted a prostitution racket in Maharashtra's Thane district and rescued five women, an official said on Sunday.

Two other women and a man have also been arrested for operating the racket, he said.

Acting on a tip, the police's anti-human trafficking cell set a trap with a decoy customer at a restaurant-cum-bar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Kashimira area on Friday, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said.

The police apprehended a 26-year-old woman, hailing from Delhi and currently residing in Jogeshwari area of neighbouring Mumbai, another woman aged 43 and a 40-year-old man, both from Mira Road here, he said.

They seized cash, a car and other items valued at Rs 10.66 lakh from the accused, the official said.

Five women were rescued and lodged at a shelter home.

An FIR was registered against the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 143(3) (human trafficking) and 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, the police added.