Interstate sex racket operating through WhatsApp busted in Uttarakhand; four girls rescued

Uttarakhand Anti Human Trafficking Unit busted a gang running an interstate sex racket and arrested two accused, including the kingpin of the gang on Friday night. The unit also rescued four girls from different states who are being trafficked for prostitution.

Dehradun:Uttarakhand Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) busted a gang involved in interstate prostitution and arrested two accused, including the kingpin of the gang on Friday night. The unit also rescued four girls from different states who were being trafficked for prostitution.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit caught the gang near Dhoran village on bypass road heading towards Mussoorie. The gang was on their way to Mussoorie, where they were meant to supply the girls to a hotel, told an AHTU official. The girls from poor backgrounds were being trafficked from states like Punjab, Delhi and Jharkhand to serve customers who visit hill stations for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The arrested accused were identified as Rahul Patil (28) and his accomplice Rahul Kumar (23). Police have also recovered objectionable items from the culprits. The main accused Rahul Patil was jailed over a similar case in the past.

During interrogation, Patil revealed that he was involved in human trafficking for the past several years and also got arrested in 2018 by AHTU Dehradun. After getting out on bail from the jail, he shifted to Delhi and once again got active in the immoral business.

Further, Patil told that his racket runs as escort service groups on Whatsapp. They share details of girls in WhatsApp groups, and once they get a nod from the customer, girls from different states are trafficked to the designated locations, on the pretext of offering them jobs.

Police are investigating the matter in detail and are trying to nab another member linked to the gang.