Surat, Oct 24 (IANS): In an operation led by Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar, as many as 602 raids have been carried out in a week at various spa centers and hotels across the city.

This drive has led to the uncovering of 16 cases directly linked to immoral trafficking and an additional 188 cases of public notification breaches, officials shared this on Tuesday.

Establishments near educational institutions were a focal point of the operation. Efforts are underway to coordinate with the relevant authorities to revoke the licences of outlets found flouting the established rules.

The campaign's scope has also been extended to hotels, emphasising strict adherence to procedures such as mandatory checking of customers' identification cards and maintenance of hotel registers.

Hotels are also compelled to input customer details into the Pathik software system and ensure proper registration of all staff members.

This leg of the operation culminated in the filing of 62 cases, with the subsequent arrest of 90 individuals. There was also an essential legal mandate concerning foreign nationals, emphasising the importance of the 'C' form filing.

Prior to this drive, Surat Police had already registered 47 cases of immoral trafficking this year, resulting in the arrest of 101 individuals.

A total of 197 women, including 52 foreign nationals, have been rescued from illegal prostitution activities from within the city this year, the commissioner informed. .