Inter-state sex racket: The Arunachal Pradesh Police have busted an inter-state sex trafficking and prostitution ring involving minors and rescued five girls in the age group of 10-15 years. The police have also arrested 21 people, including government officers, for their alleged involvement in an inter-state prostitution racket.
Among the arrested government officials include a deputy superintendent of police and a deputy director of health services.
Girls were trafficked by two sisters
Capital Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Rajbir Singh said that the minor girls were being trafficked to the state from Dhemaji in neighbouring Assam by two women (sisters) who run a beauty parlour in Itanagar.
Acting on intelligence indicating the presence of a prostitution ring exploiting minor girls in Chimpu, near Itanagar, the capital police conducted a raid on May 4 at a premises suspected to serve as both a brothel and the residence of two women. During the operation, two minor girls were rescued.
The minor girls revealed that they had been brought from Dhemaji to Itanagar by two sisters, as per the Superintendent of Police.
Singh said that following their trafficking to Itanagar, they were forced into prostitution by the sisters along with the two other ladies.
Five government officers arrested
Upon receiving information, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) was notified. Subsequently, a case was registered at the Itanagar women police station based on the complaint of the minor girls and an investigation was initiated.
As a result of the investigation, it was discovered that two more minor girls who had been trafficked from Dhemaji were in the custody of another woman. They were subsequently rescued.
All the women involved were arrested and are presently in police custody, while the rescued minor girls have been relocated to shelter homes where they are receiving ongoing medical and psychological support, he said.
During the course of the investigation, the police arrested six additional suspects, including three pimps and three sexual assailants. Furthermore, another minor girl was recovered from a lodge at Zoo Road in Chimpu on May 11, the SP said.
The police team discovered that the suspects had also trafficked another minor girl, who was also a victim of the child sex trafficking ring. Consequently, a raid was conducted at a hotel, following which the accused persons were arrested.
A total of 10 individuals involved in the prostitution racket have been arrested, while 11 customers, including five government officials, were also arrested, Singh added.
(With PTI inputs)
