Thane, Feb 24 (PTI) Police have arrested four persons for allegedly running a prostitution racket from a Navi Mumbai lodge and rescued three women from there, an official said on Saturday.

The Anti Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of Navi Mumbai raided the premises of Raj Inn Lodging and Boarding at Shiravane in the Nerul area on Thursday after sending a decoy customer.

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They arrested three agents and the manager of the lodge and rescued three women who had been pushed into the illicit trade. The women have been moved to a shelter, he said.

Senior inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade of the AHTC said the agents interacted with potential clients through a weblink and WhatsApp and shared photos of women for selection. Clients were then instructed to book accommodations at the lodge, where the women would be made available to them.

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The Turbhe police have registered a case under the Indian Penal Code for human trafficking and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and are looking for the owner of the lodge, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)