Bengaluru sees steady rise in immoral trafficking

BENGALURU: Bengaluru has seen a steady rise in cases registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), from 96 in 2019 to 176 in 2024, with 122 already registered till August this year. Senior police officers attribute this rise to stricter enforcement, though challenges persist on online platforms. According to city police data, 98 cases were registered in 2019, 136 in 2020, 129 in 2021, 155 in 2022, 180 in 2023, 176 in 2024, and 122 till August this year. A senior police officer explained that while a woman, in her individual capacity, charges money from a man to have sex is not a crime under the Act, running it an organised way, such as running a brothel, trafficking individuals for prostitution, or soliciting in public is illegal. With evolving technology, trafficking and exploitation rackets have shifted from physical spaces to online platforms to evade detection. Escort services and sexual exploitation rackets now operate through social media channels, where traffickers and pimps connect with clients anonymously. Earlier, such operations were carried out in massage parlours, spas, pubs, and lodges, but these have declined in the city due to police raids and increased public awareness, the officer said. He added that most victims are from other states and are lured with promises of jobs before being pushed into prostitution. Recent raids in the city also rescued Bangladeshi victims under Hulimavu police station limits, who had been trafficked into prostitution by fake job offer, who later approached the police. A Central Crime Branch (CCB) officer said that foreign nationals, especially women from African countries as well as from North and Northeast India, are now increasingly involved in the racket. They themselves solicit clients through social media and conduct business in serviced apartments and private homes, the officer said. Tracking the accused, who operate online is a challenge, as they use encrypted messaging applications and constantly changing their number and profiles. While raiding on brothels are easier, online prostitution rackets are far more difficult to crack, the officer added. He further explained that rescued women are usually sent to rehabilitation centres, but many of them return to the flesh trade as counselling centres are not very active and skill development programmes to help them earn a livelihood remain inadequate from the governments side. Based on the information received, we conduct raids and rescue the victims, collects details from them about the network to break the chain. However, once they are released, they get back to the business by changing phone numbers and locations, another officer said.