Police Crack Down on Trafficking Racket in Maharashtra

Three Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Palghar, Maharashtra, for running a prostitution racket. A minor girl and a 21-year-old woman, both trafficked from Bangladesh, were rescued. Charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, POCSO Act, and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act have been filed against the accused.

In a significant crackdown in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals involved in a prostitution racket. The operation, conducted by the anti-human trafficking cell, led to the rescue of a minor girl and a 21-year-old woman from a flat in Naigaon.

The raid, triggered by a tip-off, occurred on July 26 in Vasai. Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar's Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal reported the rescue of the minor girl, who was being coerced into the sex trade.

The arrested individuals, Mohammad Khalid Bapari, Juber Harun Sheikh, and Shamin Gaffar Sardar, along with the rescued girls, are all from Bangladesh. Authorities have lodged an FIR citing charges under multiple sections of the law, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, POCSO Act, and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

(With inputs from agencies.)