As world class spas have added an important vertical to Goa’s tourism, it has brought in unexpected baggage. The sex and sleaze industry is using Spas and massage parlours as fronts for their business, affecting the genuine industry severely. In fact, they have become the centres of commercial sexual exploitation, taking down genuine players in the process. VIBHA VERMA investigates
The figures are staggering! A total of 134 women including underage girls were rescued from around 28 raids on massage businesses in the last 18 months. The raids on proliferating massage parlours and spas, and the subsequent busting of prostitution rackets operated in these establishments shows the trend is thriving in the State which has over 26 lakh tourists
visiting every year. Police statistics available with Herald also show that about 97 percent of the raids were carried out along the coastal stretch
– Calangute and at Colva indicating that pimps prefer operating the sleazy racket where tourists throng.
The records also reveal that of the largest number of these ‘economically deprived victims,’ – around 22 pc come from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, followed by seven pc from West Bengal and five pc from Nepal. This is despite the impression that most of these girls are from North Eastern states. However, police investigations confirm that traffickers have a preference for girls from that region.
During this period, the highest number of raids -26 – were carried out by the north district police. South Goa police in the two raids rescued four Indian girls and arrested 10 persons while the crime branch, having jurisdiction across the State, raided eight massage-cum-spa centres, rescued 40 girls and arrested 38 persons. A total of 57 arrests have been made including repeat offenders and owners of these establishments.
“Being a tourist popular coast, magnitude of commercial activities in the north district is bigger than the south, which is why the raids are higher. We are nonetheless keeping a close watch on the functioning of each massage parlour and spa while the suspicious ones and those found operating against the law, are raided,” South SP Vijay Singh who was earlier SP of North Goa, told Herald.
Majority of the rescued victims, three of whom are local girls are aged between
15-28 years. It has been surprisingly revealed that women in their 40s are also victims
of commercial sexual exploitation, who are disguised as beauticians and masseurs by
the traffickers. Three women from Bijapur in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
who were rescued from a massage parlour at Calangute last year were aged 40 and
48 years. Investigations also disclose that while these girls are promised a high salary
package are paid less than 50 percent at the end of every month. Some of these girls,
who escape police rescue operations, are even trafficked to other cities like Chennai,
Bangalore and in Gujarat.
“Once they are trapped, they are forced to dance to the tunes of their pimps. These
girls are sold at Rs 15,000 per hour which reduces to Rs 8-10,000 after negotiation. Fair
girls having Chinese features are even paid Rs 35,000 per night,” a local police inspector
told Herald.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr O P Mishra, during a seminar at Dona Paula
had conceded that human trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) has
emerged as an organized crime network while he also suggested the states device
methodology to curtail the illicit activity.
“It is so organised that it works on demand and supply. The trafficker carries out
vulnerability test of the victims in the source states and accordingly develops personal
contacts with her. The victim is then lured with a lucrative job with high salary, only to
realize later she is trafficked for prostitution. This needs to be curbed,” he had said.
Despite raids, the trade continues unabated for various reasons including
corruption and loopholes in the laws as the raided premises bounce back to business
like it was never raided.
