Navi Mumbai: AHTU arrests three, rescues six women from flesh trade in Vashi

The Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Navi Mumbai police arrested three persons from a lodge in Vashi on Friday evening and rescued six women who were forced into the flesh trade. Police conducted the raid following a tip-off received regarding the illegal sex racket being carried out in the lodge.

Acting on a tip-off, the AHTU sent a dummy customer to MG Lodging and Boarding located at shop number 2 near Truck Terminal in sector 19 C under the APMC police station in Vashi on Friday evening.

Later the police personnel from the AHTU unit conducted a raid at the lodge and found the dummy customer with a woman in one of the rooms of the lodge. When police checked other rooms, they found five other women and girls. They all were rescued, and during the initial investigation, they admitted that the manager of the lodge was involved in the illegal activity.

Apart from the manager, two more persons who were working as brokers were also arrested. They were identified as Virendra Ramvilas Yadav, 32, the manager of the lodge and native of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Mithilesh Prasad Banvari, 31, a resident of Kopri village in Vashi and native of Chatra in Jharkhand and Bhagi Prasad Tulsi Yadav, 50, a resident of Kopri village in Vashi and native of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

According to police, both Banvari and Yadav were brokers and they used to lure women by offering money and forcing them into the flesh trade. Meanwhile, a case has been registered against them at APMC police station under sections 370 and 34 of IPC and sections 3,4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.