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Mumbai Smiles macro rescue operation: 9 girls freed from sexual exploitation
On September 27, the Mumbai Smiles Foundation rescue team freed 9 girls who were victims of human trafficking and exploitation and were being forced into prostitution.
The success of this operation began a month ago, when the team was informed that in a brothel on Grant Road (Mumbai) there were nine girls who were being forced and were sexually exploited. Out of these girls, five were from West Bengal, two from Bangladesh and two others from Mumbai itself. All of them had been deceived and had traveled to the city with false promises of working as a domestic worker, as an actress or in a big company. The girls, aged between 24 and 35, had immediately been taken to the brothel and forced into prostitution for 5 months.
The rescue operation
After members of our team visited the brothel on several occasions to gather information and establish a relationship with the traffickers, it was agreed with the police that the operation would take place on Friday, September 27.
In total, 18 people were involved in the rescue: 12 police officers, 4 members of Bombay Smiles and 2 informants who acted as decoy clients. The operation began at 4pm and ended at 6am; nine girls were freed and three traffickers were arrested during the raid.
Support and assistance for victims
The freed girls were immediately treated by medical personnel and by our social workers, who offered them legal and psychological support. They have all been transferred to a shelter and the three arrested are currently in prison.
According to sources involved in the investigation, the girls were not related to each other and had been recruited by acquaintances who had tricked them into going to work in Mumbai. The two victims from Bangladesh will be able to return home and the authorities are working to support the other girls in their rehabilitation process.
A great success for Mumbai Smiles
This has been one of the largest operations carried out by our rescue team and, with this, 78 people have already been rescued from human trafficking mafias.
Thanks to the support of the people who collaborate with us, we can continue carrying out sexual exploitation rescue operations like this one and thus achieve a better future for many girls.