Mangaluru prostitution racket: Minor girls enticed by luxury, then trapped into flesh trade, reveals investigation

Mangaluru: “Do you need money? Do you want to go shopping? Do you want to watch a movie in a multiplex?” These are some of the innocent questions that pimps and brokers use to trap young girls into prostitution.  The ongoing investigation into the large-scale prostitution racket has uncovered how the girls, especially minors, are enticed, lured towards a lavish life, and ultimately trapped into prostitution.

These pimps mostly target girls from poor financial backgrounds, showing them a glimpse of glitzy and luxurious life. The pimps befriend the girls, act as if they are their family. Using sweet talk, they compel the girls into revealing the problems they face and offer to the girls help to overcome them. The pimps give out cash or buy them clothes and gifts, take them out for lunch, spend on lavish gifts – all to give a taste of luxuries that the world has to offer.

Pimps document everything – take lots of photos and videos, which later become a weapon used for blackmail. Fearful of the consequences to their social image and family prestige, many girls fall for the trap. Once a girl gets trapped, she is pushed into prostitution. She is also coaxed into bringing more of her friends- and the vicious cycle continues.

DCP Hariram Shankar said that the girls get into the vicious circle of prostitution due to enticement and later blackmail. “Generally, this happens as there is a lack of communication between the parents and the children,” he added.

CCB police have already arrested 16 people in connection with the prostitution racket and booked them under the provisions of POCSO.  The accused in the case are from Moodbidri, Ullal, and Kasargod and even include accomplices of influential politicians, police said.

Police urged the victims of blackmail to approach them immediately. DCP Hariram Shankar said, “If anyone is trapped in such network, they should not feel scared and bring it to the notice of either their parents or teachers at school. The operation will be carried out in secrecy. Information about the victims or victims’ families will not be revealed to the public under any circumstances. This helps the police in taking suitable action against the culprits and prevent others from falling into such trap.”