Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch busted a high-profile sex racket and arrested 13 racketeers, including serial production controllers, and rescued seven girls, including models and cine actresses here on Wednesday night.
Two of the victim girls were former child artists and one was a Bengaluru-based Malayali model. The accused traffickers included a Sri Lankan refugee woman and a serial actress who ran separate rackets. All of them were coordinated by Prasanna alias Geetha, 51, hailing from near Rajarajeswari temple, Sreekariyam.
The police laid a trap a few weeks ago by calling Prassanna on her number listed on the online site ‘locanto.’ On Wednesday, the Bangalore-based model was flown in here. The rest of the gang brought other girls in different cars. The police arrested them and seized five cars.
“The racketeer used to charge huge rates as they claimed girls were actresses, minors and virgins. However, on verification we got to know that they are 18 and 19-year-olds who resembled minors,” Mr Sreejith said. To garner the trust of racketeers the police had paid them advance from the funds availed by state police chief. One of the accused serial actresses, Bindu of Muttada, used to run a beauty parlour.
The other accused included Prasanna’s daughter Nayana alias Pinki, 28, of Pongummoodu and her husband Pradeep, 38. Accused Jaison, 31, of Rajakkad, Idukki was a production controller. Some other accused were identified as Saju, 33, of Attingal, Shameer, 30, of Vellayani, and Sajina, 33, of Pattom.
