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| Police hunt for masterminds behind Thai women trafficking | | |  Atul Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 17: Jammu Police have launched an extensive investigation to uncover the masterminds behind an alleged trafficking and prostitution network suspected of bringing Thai women to the city under the cover of spa and massage services and pushing them into the flesh trade.
In a major development, a local court has granted four days of police remand of two Thai women and a Special Police Officer (SPO) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, giving investigators crucial time to unravel what is increasingly being viewed as a well-organised network with both international and local links.
The investigation is now focused on identifying the entire chain of individuals involved in recruiting women in Thailand, arranging their travel to India, facilitating their stay in Jammu, and deploying them in spas, rented accommodations and other establishments allegedly used for prostitution. Police are trying to determine how long this network has been operating, who has been financing it, and how many Thai women have been brought to Jammu in the name of providing spa and massage services.
Sources said investigators suspect that several foreign women may have entered Jammu over the past few months under the pretext of working in wellness centres, but were allegedly being used in organised prostitution rackets operating in different parts of the city. Police are now verifying records of spa and massage centres, scrutinising travel documents, and tracing local contacts who may have coordinated accommodation, transportation and clients.
The remand of the two Thai women and the SPO is expected to provide critical leads about the functioning of the network. During interrogation, police are likely to question the women about how they were recruited in Thailand, who sponsored their travel, what type of visas they used, who received them upon arrival in India, and who arranged their stay and work in Jammu. Investigators are also examining whether the women were moved between multiple locations and whether more Thai nationals are currently operating in the city.
The case first came to light on Friday night when a special team of Gangyal P "This is the second major case this year involving Thai nationals and alleged immoral activities in Jammu. In February, police detained three Thai women during raids on SPA centres in Narwal and Channi Himmat. The recurrence of such incidents has strengthened suspicions that an organised trafficking network has been systematically bringing women from Thailand to Jammu and exploiting them in the flesh trade while using legitimate-looking wellness businesses as a cover."
What has added a sensational dimension to the case is that the alleged prostitution racket was being run from a rented house linked to an SPO posted at the District Police Lines, Jammu. The involvement of a police employee has raised serious questions and intensified the investigation into whether local facilitators were providing protection and logistical support to the network.
The case has also triggered concern within the security establishment because the alleged racket was operating close to important defence installations. Intelligence agencies are monitoring the investigation and examining whether the presence of foreign nationals in such a strategically sensitive area points to any wider security implications.
Several spa and massage centres across Jammu have now come under the scanner as police investigate whether they were being used as fronts to facilitate prostitution involving foreign women. Officers are collecting details about ownership, staffing patterns, and the identities of foreign nationals employed in these establishments.
This is the second major case this year involving Thai nationals and alleged immoral activities in Jammu. In February, police detained three Thai women during raids on spa centres in Narwal and Channi Himmat. The recurrence of such incidents has strengthened suspicions that an organised trafficking network has been systematically bringing women from Thailand to Jammu and exploiting them in the flesh trade while using legitimate-looking wellness businesses as a cover.
Investigators believe the current probe could expose a much larger syndicate involving recruiters in Thailand, travel facilitators, local handlers, spa operators and other intermediaries. The outcome of the four-day remand is expected to provide vital clues about the scale of the racket and reveal how foreign women were being brought to Jammu and allegedly used in prostitution under the guise of spa and massage services. |
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