With the coronavirus pandemic emptying the streets and hideouts exploited for carrying out the illegal sex trade across Goa, it was expected that the sex trade would end. But, suddenly pimps swung into action within weeks of entry into the State being relaxed by the government.
Herald’s has learnt that some rescued girls were trafficked into Goa from Delhi and West Bengal during the later stage of the lockdown. Their pimps, nearly all of whom are non-Goans but residents of the State, are clandestinely sneaking the vulnerable women into Goa to keep the trade alive and money flowing.
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“They were brought to Goa either via flights or roads. When every entrants’ (including Goans) quarantine was mandatory as per the Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidelines, these girls completed 14 days of institutional/hotel quarantine. All expenses were borne by their pimps/kingpins,” the source revealed.
Amongst those victims, who repatriated to other States, a few of them out rightly denied attempts to re-traffic them; however, there were others who either fell prey or voluntarily agreed to return to the illegal activity.
But in what could risk the lives of the victim and client, all health safety standards to be undertaken in view of the COVID-19, were thrown to the winds. Herald spoke to NGO ARZ about sex workers who were perceived to be vulnerable to risks associated with their lifestyle and occupation.
NGO Director Arun Pandey claimed that victims have no say in anything other than serving customers. “Since the client is a “buyer,” the kingpin decides the rule of the sex trade business and the client appears to be least bothered about the current pandemic. The victim/sex workers have no say in anything,” Pandey said.
The situation has posed a challenge to the law enforcing authority considering that the activity is thriving notwithstanding the corona scare.
Pandey conceded that trafficking for commercial sexual activity during COVID-19 is endangering the lives of people. “It is not only resulting in commercial sexual exploitation of the girls but is also endangering the life of the victim, client and general public by contributing in the spread of the virus,” he said demanding that police book the pimps, clients and all those involved in the crime under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.
In the last couple of weeks, nearly half a dozen girls were rescued by local police and Crime Branch. Three of these rescued victims are residents of Goa while those hailing from Delhi and West Bengal travelled by flight, train and road.
There’s also information about how internal trafficking within the State also resumed as some victims were stranded due to the sudden imposition of lockdown.
