KOCHI: The trafficking of women for sex trade has become a major facet of organised crime in the state as the police system finds it very difficult to locate the perpetrators operating mainly through the Internet. The busting of two such net-based trafficking under ‘Operation Big Daddy’ is only tip of the iceberg, says Inspector-General of Police S. Sreejith who headed the operations.
“There is no doubt that trafficking of women for sex trade has emerged as a major crime in the state and the law enforcement agencies needed to be aware of it,” he said. The persons involved in the crime are having inter-state connections and some even transnational links, he added.
The agents involved in the racket traps the victims using various methods and it has a pattern. There are four baits the rackets offer the victims: jobs, promise of roles in television serials and cinema, modeling opportunities and intellectual deception. Financially upward mobility is also used as a tool to lure girls from economically weaker sections.
According to Mr. Sreejith, the trafficking racket is thriving mainly on the huge amount of money involved in the trade. “The racket we busted a week ago demanded Rs 33 lakh for a day for a group of 10 girls from the decoy customer we have assigned for the purpose,” MR Sreejith said. “This shows the demand and supply situation in the commercial sex trade in the state.”
The police finds very difficult to keep track of trafficking due to the anonymity provided by Internet. “When we crack one site, traffickers chose another,” he pointed out. “The technology is very fast and the busting of one gang is followed by some other gang.”
The police is now focusing only on cases involving women trafficking. “Commercial sex trade per se is not the concern of the squad,” Mr Sreejith said. “We are focusing on trafficking as it is a criminal act and most of the victims are lured into the racket using various means of coercion,” he added.
