The MIDC Police have busted a high-profile sex racket operating out of a hotel in Andheri with the alleged involvement of foreign nationals. The illegal operation was being run from the Empire Suite Hotel located near Time Square on Andheri-Kurla Road. Acting on specific information, police raided the premises and rescued three women from Vietnam who were being used in the flesh trade.
Following the raid, police arrested the hotel manager, Alam Khalil Chaudhary, while a case has also been registered against the hotel owner Abdul Salam under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Prevention Of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA).
According to the police, the racket was operating on the 8th and 9th floors of the Empire Suite Hotel, where several foreign women were reportedly lodged. Acting on credible intelligence, senior officers instructed MIDC Police to investigate thoroughly and take necessary action.
To verify the tip-off, police deployed a decoy customer to the hotel. The decoy was introduced to the hotel manager Alam Chaudhary, who offered him services for ₹6,000 and led him to a room on the eighth floor. Inside, the decoy found a foreign woman, who later revealed that two more women were also staying in another room and engaged in sex work. All three women admitted to their involvement in prostitution.
After receiving the pre-arranged signal from the decoy, a police team raided the two floors and detained the women for questioning. During interrogation, it was revealed that the manager was facilitating clients and sharing photos of the women via an agent’s mobile number posted on online websites. The agent was actively involved in communicating with potential clients, fixing deals, and directing them to the hotel.
Investigations further revealed that the sex racket was being operated under the directions of the hotel owner, Abdul Salam. Based on these findings, police registered a case under the BNS and PITA against both the owner and the manager. Alam Chaudhary has since been arrested, and the search is ongoing for the hotel owner.
All three rescued women are citizens of Vietnam. Police have seized their passports and, following medical examinations, the women were sent to a shelter home. Information regarding their rescue has also been shared with the Vietnamese Embassy in India.
Police are continuing the investigation to trace the agent involved and determine whether more people or locations are connected to the racket.