Pune: Lohegaon Police have busted a high-profile prostitution racket operating from an upscale residential society on Porwal Road. Two Ugandan women were rescued during the raid, while a foreign national accused of running the racket and the flat owner have been booked, officials said on Friday.
The accused has been identified as Namipizza Ritah (39), a Ugandan national, who allegedly coerced the victims into the flesh trade. Another accused, Rupesh Ramesh Piwal (40), a resident of Wanowrie, is the owner of the flat and is accused of providing the premises for the illegal activity in exchange for financial gains.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from Lohegaon Police Station conducted a raid on Wednesday at around 7:50pm at Flat No. 403 in the Durva Heritage society. During the operation, police found that two women from Uganda were allegedly being lured with money and forced into prostitution.
During the raid, the police seized cash worth ₹64,600, mobile handsets, passports, condoms, and other important documents from the spot.
Regarding the matter, a case has been filed by Police Constable Parveen Liyaqat Shaikh on behalf of the state.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Manisha Patil, along with PSI Shubhangi Magdum and PSI Manoj Barure.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. Further investigation is underway.
