FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The former SP, FRRO of Goa, Bosco George has made startling revelations alleging that sex rackets originating in the African countries and executed in Goa are tacitly backed by elements in Indian high commissions/embassies in African countries to get girls to India for flesh trade.
He was speaking at the weekly Point Counter Point discussion on Herald TV.
George, retired IPS, said “There is a racket in Africa who are colliding with the High Commission in those areas and these girls are being brought under the pretext of working in the hospitality sector. I am clear. They are colluding with (elements in) the Indian High Commission there” I'm very clear about this and I’ve stated this to concerned intelligence agencies. There are agents in Kenya, Tanzania. They bring the girls here, take their passports and force them into prostitution”
George, who served as the Superintendent of Police of FRRO division of Goa police said that without this kind of collusion, it is impossible to get unskilled people to the country as they are not even eligible to get the Visa. George stated this while discussing the issue of international sex trafficking in Goa.
These remarks were made in the midst of growing resentment, alarm and anger over the recent rescue of 5 African women( believed to be Nigerian or Kenyan ) who were trafficked for the sex trade to Goa by African sex traders. The women did not have passports and visas (in all likelihood seized by handlers on arrival in India).
He said, “When I was in service as FRRO a similar thing had happened. Initially, the law was very weak for us, in the sense that you don’t know from where in Africa they are from. There was a responsibility to find out their nationality. We had to write to the Ministry of External Affairs, they would write to High Commission, and further, the High Commission would say this does not come under us and the culprits were given bail.”
The Anjuna Police on Friday busted an international sex trafficking ring operating between Kenya/ Nigeria and India and arrested two Kenyans/ Nigerians (nationality not yet affirmed).
The police also rescued five victims from Africa. According to North SP Nidhin Valsan, the victims were brought to Goa and forced into massage parlour and subsequently into flesh trade and supplied to African men.
They were living in miserable conditions and their passports were taken away by the accused. They were not allowed to go out and were virtually forced into flesh trade” The racket was being operated from guest houses.
