Stany Bela
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jun 30: After continuous police raids on prostitution centres in Mangaluru, the pimps who are facing losses are trying to lure customers via social media and dating apps. They are also taking advance payment from clients via Paytm.
The unexpected raids have badly affected the prostitution business in the city and the pimps are now strategizing different means to contact customers. The agents mostly target students and labourers who are new to the city, and try to make them their regular clients and also get contacts of other potential clients from them. However, whenever the centre where prostitution takes place is raided, they lose their clients, who break ties with the pimps fearing their safety and privacy. Also as the SIM cards, online profiles and contact numbers are deleted, the pimps loose links of regular customers.
However, with popular dating apps and social media, the pimps are finding it easy to make new contacts. They create fake profiles with pictures and chat with students and youth. After gaining the confidence of the people they chat with, they will tell them their real agenda.
Pictures of girls with their rates are shared on social media, WhatsApp. If the person confirms to the deal, he is asked to make an advance payment on Paytm or meet the pimp at a particular place for cash payment. The pimps then share their real contact numbers and discuss other details like rate, address, time, pick up and drop details via mobile phone.
According to sources, the agents bring girls from Hyderabad and northern parts of Karnataka. The agents also pursue girls who have come to the city to study, promising them easy money. Many are easily lured and once they enter the flesh trade, they find it very difficult to leave. The pimps blackmail girls who wish to leave the prostitution business and hence they are forced to cooperate.
Sources say that the pimps are in touch with few women, who serve as escorts to high profile clients. These women too have a high status in the society and are in touch with the bigwigs of the corporate world.
Speaking to Daijiworld, a student from Kerala said “We are seven friends from Kannur studying here in an engineering college. One of our friends got in touch with an agent via Facebook. Despite our warning, he agreed to meet the agent at Bendoorwell for the sake of fun. We do not know how the agent brainwashed him. After returning from the prostitution centre, he tried to convince us also. Finally he succeeded to convince two from the gang. Nearly one year they visited the prostitution centres in various places in city. I have heard from them that some agents are running prostitution centres in the name of massage parlours. However, most deals happen online.”
A senior retired police officer says that there are many instances where professionals and students fall prey to honey trap. The clients are lured and later the pimps blackmail them with their videos. Mostly, financially sound candidates and people from influential families are victims of honey trap. The victims of honey trap mostly give in to the demands of the pimps, fearing defamation. They also do not approach the police, he adds.
“We have noticed that the trend of agents luring clients online is slowly picking up in Mangaluru. Illegal activities have drastically increased via online and social media. Gullible people are targeted who face huge financial losses. Many are blackmailed. But majority of people are not ready to complain about these matters. But we are ready to investigate every single complaint and prevent the illegal activities that happen online,” says an official from cyber police station in city.