Hyderabad: An international human trafficking racket involving Gulf migrants turned agents, luring innocent women with promises of well paid jobs, has been exposed by the Special Operations Team of the Rachakonda police.
A detailed inquiry was initiated and the racket was unearthed. Police arrested five members of the gang; another 10 agents in the Gulf and parts of AP are absconding.
The arrested persons are Uppe Trimurthulu alias Murthy, Madiki Tathaji alias Nani, Pothula Dasu, Gogan-amanda Ramarao and Sala Murali. They have each sent around 20 persons on tourist visas in the past. Police said more than 100 persons including women are now residing in Gulf countries.
The woman who filed the complaint said she and her husband were offered jobs in Dubai and paid '2.8 lakh for their visas etc. When things didn’t progress, the duo pressurised one of the arrested gang members, Murthy, who connected them to Dubai Srinu. The latter made them pay another '1 lakh and the woman finally landed in Dubai, where she was sold to a manpower agency, and was sexually harassed and tortured and not given proper food.
A couple of months later, her husband followed her and she was able to tell him about her situation. Her husband quarrelled with Dubai Srinu, while her relatives pressurised his family at home. Unable to bear the pressure, he collected Rs 70,000 and sent her home. She lodged a complaint with the police and when he came to know this, Dubai Srinu sent her husband home too.
“Indians who migrated to Gulf countries have become agents and employ other agents to lure innocent people with lucrative job offers and trap them. Their main target is women aged between 25 and 30. They are sent on tourist visas and sold to manpower agencies, who exploit them. If they resist, they threaten them with arrest for staying illegally,” said Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat. There are around 50 agents operating in parts of East and West Godavari districts.
SI suspended over foul play in investigation
An investigating officer S-I Ch. Shoban Babu was placed under suspension for negligence in investigating the trafficking case. Charge memos were served to the then inspector of Ghatkesar, B. Prakash, and ACP Malk-ajgiri G. Sandeep, for not supervising the case in detail.
The woman had lodged a complaint with the Ghatkesar police in June 2017. A case was registered and was handed over to S-I Shoban Babu for investigation. How-ever, the SI closed the case citing lack of evidence.
The woman and her husband later appro-ached city police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat and told him about their problem.
After the inquiry report, the commissioner issued orders suspending the S-I and also served charge memos to the inspector and the ACP. The case was then assigned to the Special Operations Team.
