HYDERABAD: Police in Hyderabad have uncovered a transnational sex trafficking ring operating from a high-end apartment in the city’s upscale Jubilee Hills neighbourhood, involving women trafficked from Bangladesh and Thailand.
The racket came to light after Jubilee Hills police raided a serviced apartment on Road No. 9 late Saturday night, following a tip-off about illegal activities being run under the guise of a private residence. During the operation, police rescued a 23-year-old woman from Bangladesh and a 30-year-old woman from Thailand. A local client, identified as 43-year-old Lakshminarayana Reddy, a private bank employee from Pragathi Nagar, was also apprehended on the spot.
Investigations revealed that the Bangladeshi woman, originally from a village near Dhaka, had been trafficked into India in December last year by an agent named Rakib. After crossing into West Bengal, she was kept at Rakib’s home for a brief period before being sent to Bengaluru with a SIM card and instructions. There, she was held captive for a month and forced into sex work by a man named Mojam. After managing to escape, she continued working in Koramangala alongside another Bangladeshi woman before eventually being trafficked to Hyderabad by a man named Akhil, who befriended her and introduced her to Naik, the alleged local kingpin.
The Thai woman’s case followed a similarly disturbing trajectory. She had entered India on a travel visa around six weeks ago, reportedly to meet her boyfriend Suji, whom she had met in Bangkok. After disagreements over money, she separated from him and contacted a friend named Mai back in Bangkok. Mai allegedly convinced her to stay in India and earn money through prostitution, offering to transfer 1,000 Thai Baht to her bank account in return for working under Naik in Hyderabad. Police suspect Mai is connected to the broader trafficking network.
Authorities have also discovered that the operation used coded terms such as “Boom Boom” to communicate with clients. The traffickers reportedly coordinated between Bangladesh, Thailand, and India to keep the racket running. Police suspect that Naik, in collaboration with foreign handlers, has been actively recruiting and managing trafficked women from overseas.
Cases have been registered under Sections 143(2), 144(2), and 3, 4 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA), based on a complaint filed by Jubilee Hills DI Madhusudan. The accused named so far include Rakib (trafficker), Akhil (intermediary), Naik (racket organiser), Mai (Thai recruiter), and Lakshminarayana Reddy (client). Police have launched a full investigation to dismantle the broader network and trace its international links.
