Mumbai: The MIDC Police busted a high-profile sex racket involving foreign nationals at a hotel in Andheri. The illegal operation was being run from the Empire Suite Hotel near Times Square on Andheri-Kurla Road. The raid, carried out recently following a tip-off, led to the rescue of three Vietnamese women who were allegedly forced into prostitution.

Acting on specific intelligence, senior police officials directed the MIDC Police to verify the information and take immediate action. According to a Lokmat Times report, a decoy customer was sent to the hotel to confirm the operation. Upon reaching the premises, the decoy was received by hotel manager Alam Khalil Chaudhary, who allegedly offered sex services for Rs 6,000 and led him to a room on the eighth floor. There, the decoy met a foreign woman, who later admitted to being involved in prostitution along with two other Vietnamese women staying in another room.

3 Women Rescued From Hotel

After receiving a pre-arranged signal from the decoy, the police team raided the 8th and 9th floors of the hotel, rescuing all three women. The women were taken in for questioning, during which they confirmed their involvement in sex work. They also revealed that their clients were coordinated through an agent who shared their photographs online and directed customers to the hotel.

Further investigation revealed that the sex racket was being run with the knowledge and alleged involvement of the hotel owner, Abdul Salam. According to the police, the manager facilitated all transactions and coordinated with the agent, while Salam oversaw the operation. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA) against both Chaudhary and Salam.

Manhunt Launched For Hotel Owner

While Alam Chaudhary has been arrested, the hotel owner is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him. The rescued women, all citizens of Vietnam, have had their passports seized and were sent to a shelter home after undergoing medical examinations. The Vietnamese Embassy in India has been informed of their rescue.

Police are now working to identify and track the agent involved in the online coordination of the racket and are investigating whether more people or locations are linked to the operation.

Mumbai: The city police have seized over 926 kilograms of contraband in the first half of this year and have arrested 744 persons allegedly involved in 634 drugs related cases registered in the city. Total value of the seized contraband is a whopping Rs 174.19 crore. Statistics revealed that ganja and Mephedrone (MD) have been the most seized contraband in the city.

Ganja, MD Top List Of Most Seized Drugs In City

According to the statistics provided by the police, from January till June this year, the police have registered 28 cases related to seizure of heroin, arrested 35 persons in heroin related cases and had seized 0.85 kg of heroin valued at Rs 2.09 crore.

The police have registered 10 cases related to seizure of charas, arrested 16 persons in charas related cases and have seized 16.27 kg of charas valued at Rs 14.39 crore. The police have registered 402 cases related to seizure of ganja, arrested 416 persons in ganja related cases and seized 865 kg of ganja valued at Rs 31.59 crore.

Cocaine Seizure Small In Volume, High In Value

Stating about the seizures of high-end drugs in Mumbai, the statistics revealed that the police have registered 10 cases related to cocaine seizure, arrested 17 persons in cocaine related cases and seized 6.49 grams of cocaine valued at Rs 57.18 crore.

Thousands Booked For Drug Consumption Alone

The police have registered 136 cases related to seizure of MD, arrested 187 persons in MD related cases and had seized 37.23 kg of MD valued at Rs 68.55 crore. As far as consumption cases are concerned, this year the police have registered 3484 drug consumption cases and have arrested 2968 persons in these cases.

Police Monitoring Darknet, Strengthening Informant Network

“We not only rely on our informant network to get information about drug trafficking in the city, but also keep a close watch on the darknet where drug dealings take place clandestinely. Our efforts are directed towards breaking the chain and syndicates involved in drug peddling in the city. We also take awareness campaigns to make citizens, especially youngsters aware about the menace of drugs and its impact on health,” said a police source.

Statistics from January till June 2025

Heroin – Cases (28), Persons Arrested (35), Seized (0.85 kg)

Charas – Cases (10), Persons Arrested (16), Seized (16.27 kg)

Ganja – Cases (402), Persons Arrested (416), Seized (865 kg)

Cocaine – Cases (10), Persons Arrested (17), Seized (6.49 kg)

MD – Cases (136), Persons Arrested (187), Seized (37.23 kg)

Pune: A Maharashtra government officer has alleged her husband secretly installed spy cameras in their bedroom to record her private moments, and subjected her to mental and physical harassment by demanding Rs 1.5 lakh dowry, police said.

About The Case

The 31-year-old woman alleged her husband, also a government employee, had installed cameras in the bathroom, too, the police said on Tuesday.

Based on the woman’s complaint, the police have registered a case against her husband, mother-in-law, three sisters-in-law and husbands of two sisters-in-law under sections 85 (cruelty by a husband or his relatives towards a woman), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they said.

The woman, a Class-2 officer in a state government department, was harassed physically and mentally by her husband and his family members, the police said, citing the complaint.

“The woman has alleged she was subjected to mental and physical harassment by her husband and his relatives, who pressured her to get Rs 1.5 lakh from her parental home to pay installments of car. When she refused to bring the money, she was beaten up,” an official from Ambegaon police station said.

The woman also alleged her husband installed spy cameras in their bedroom to record her private moments and threatened to make them viral if she did not fulfil his demand, the official said.

A probe was on into the complaint, the police added.