In a major crackdown, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police dismantled a high-profile prostitution racket in Kashimira. The operation led to the arrest of two alleged traffickers and the rescue of six women aged between 25 and 30.
The arrested accused have been identified as Manoj Duleshwar Yadav alias Ravi (31) and Subhash Kuleshwar Yadav (24). Police believe both were operating as local handlers for an organized sex trafficking network masterminded by Gabbar alias Raees, along with four other accomplices.
According to the MBVV police, the gang operated primarily through WhatsApp and other social messaging platforms to circulate photographs of women and coordinate meetings with clients.
Acting on a tip-off regarding the Bandra-based gang’s activities, the AHTU team engaged Raees using a decoy customer. Raees demanded Rs50,000 for a meeting, and after a deal was struck, the police laid a trap in the parking lot of a well-known sportswear outlet on the highway in Kashimira.
Ravi and Subhash were apprehended at the spot after arriving in a Maruti Swift with three women. The women were rescued and later moved to a Mumbai-based shelter home following legal procedures.
A formal FIR under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) and Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) was registered against the arrested duo, Raees (Gabbar), and his four accomplices. A manhunt is currently underway to track and arrest the remaining accused.
The case has now been transferred to Kashimira police station for continued investigation.
