How Police Outsmarted Kenyan Women Running Sex Syndicate in India
Friday, police officers in the central west coast Indian state of Goa arrested two Kenyan women operating a sex exploitation ring involving Kenyan women forced into prostitution.
According to Indian media reports, the police initiated the investigation in response to an increase in the downloading of child pornography in the region beginning in July 2023.
Authorities rescued five Kenyan women who had been enticed to India with the promise of lucrative employment opportunities abroad.
Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan stated that upon their arrival, their passports were confiscated and they were forced to perform sex labor.
Since their rescue, the state has provided lodging for the rescued women. The scheme targeted young, vulnerable, educated Kenyan women employed in the hospitality industry.
“After being brought to India, the traffickers seized the women’s passports and visas and forced them into prostitution under the threat of violence,” the superintended stated.
“The racket, a close-knit group involving the trafficker duo operated largely online, leveraging escort websites to solicit clients. ARZ, the NGO, became aware of the operation when the victims were taken to Bengaluru for prostitution.”
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The operation was conducted by a multi-agency team that included North Goa Anjuna Police officers and the ARZ NGO.
“Following a tip-off from a partner organization, ARZ successfully located the victims in Goa and facilitated a meeting with DSP Jivba Dalvi and Anjuna Police Inspector Prashal Dessai to share the information,” he added.
In 2021, 43,663 child pornographic files were downloaded from 30 different URLs, according to an analysis conducted by the state’s authority, which led to the initiation of an operation.
According to the United States government, the Kenyan government does not completely meet the minimum requirements for the eradication of human trafficking, but it is making significant efforts to eradicate the crime.
Kenyan law criminalizes sex and labor trafficking with suspects facing up to 30 years to life in prison, a minimum fine of Ksh30 million ($243,210), or both.
“These penalties were sufficiently stringent. However, by allowing for a fine instead of imprisonment for sex trafficking, these penalties were not commensurate with those for other serious crimes, such as rape,” read the US report.
The Kenyan government identified 556 victims of human trafficking in 2022, up from 482 victims in 2021.
How Police Outsmarted Kenyan Women Running Sex Syndicate in India