Delhi Police busts sex racket in Paharganj; 23 rescued, 7 held

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police dismantled a sex trafficking operation in Paharganj, freeing 23 women, which included three minors and 10 Nepalese citizens, officials confirmed on Sunday.
A collaborative effort by teams from Paharganj Police Station, Shardhanand Marg Police Post and Himmatgarh Police Post led to the arrest of seven human traffickers.
"Based on inputs and surveillance, police identified key locations involved in the illegal trade. The accused were allegedly luring women from West Bengal, Nepal, and other states under false pretences and forcing them into prostitution," a senior police officer stated.
The traffickers had kept the women in a room within Paharganj's main market before transferring them to various hotels.
According to the officer, the teams conducted preliminary surveillance and positioned undercover customers at suspected locations before executing the raid.
"Once the illegal activities were confirmed, teams raided multiple locations, including hotels. The victims were found being transported on scooters to different locations. The teams rescued 23 women, including three minors and arrested seven accused," the officer explained.
The police identified the arrested individuals as Nurshed Alam (21), Md Rahul Alam (22), Abdul Mannan (30), Taushif Rexa, Shamim Alam (29), Md Jarul (26) and Monish (26).
14 held for running sex racket at spa in Delhi's Anand Vihar
In a separate incident, Delhi Police apprehended 14 individuals, including eight women and six men, for allegedly running a sex racket under the guise of a spa and massage center in east Delhi's Anand Vihar.
According to the police, the raid was conducted on March 8 after receiving a tip-off regarding illicit activities at the spa.
"We sent a decoy customer to the spa. The decoy was initially offered a massage for Rs 2,000. However, the spa manager, Piyush (24), allegedly offered women for sexual services for an additional Rs 2,000. Police then raided the premises and apprehended the individuals," an officer said.