Mallapuram, February 24: A high-profile drug-and-sex racket was busted by a NGO called the Childline in Kerala's Mallapuram district recently. The Childline rescued a 14-year-old girl from a well-to-do family last week. The girl was made a drug addict and raped several times by many people. The racketeers have been found targeting schoolgirls by befriending them through Instagram. Child Pornography Racket Busted by Kerala Police, 47 Arrested For Seeking Banned Content on Darknet.

After she was rescued, the girl told cops that she was given ganja first, then hashish oil and cocaine, according to a report by The Hindu. She also identified seven people involved in the racket. The fact that she was drugged and raped at her house for months while her family was asleep shocked the authorities. The victim is currently in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Sandalwood Drug Racket: After Detaining Ragini Dwivedi, Crime Branch Arrests Key Suspect Over Allegedly Supplying Narcotic Drugs to Kannada Film Actors at Rave Parties.

"This is not an ordinary POCSO case. This is a case of extreme seriousness demanding serious and immediate intervention. I was shocked to see such a crime. Never before could we detect such a thing in Malappuram. The racket traps girls through Instagram, makes them addicts to drugs, and abuses them sexually," CWC chairman Shajesh Bhaskar said.

Police have registered seven cases and arrested one suspect. According to officials of the Childline, the girl’s case was just a tip of the iceberg and more girls have fallen in the trap and are fearing to come forward.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 24, 2021 01:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).