PANAJI: In an attempt to remain a step ahead of the police, pimps now seem to be using different modus operandi to carry on with their ‘trade’ in the state.
In yet another case of prostitution, a pimp hoodwinked the Crime Branch police on Wednesday. The police, however, managed to rescue a 28-year-old victim girl from the prostitution racket during a raid conducted in Calangute on Wednesday night.
The raid also brought to the fore another method of operation of the pimps. The victim girl was lodged in a guest house in Calangute and based on the requirements, she was asked by the pimp to come at a designated location from where the customer would pick her up.
The room in the guest house was hired by the pimp in the name of the victim girl as against the earlier practice wherein girls were kept in a rented bungalow or a flat and subsequently the girl was delivered to a prospective customer.
It is learnt that owing to a number of police raids, the pimps keep changing their modus operandi in order to avoid coming under the police radar.
“Nabbing pimps is becoming an uphill task as they often keep changing their method of operation. Now they don’t keep the girls in rented premises but in a hotel or guest house room, which is booked in their (girls’) name,” said an officer.
On Wednesday, police contacted a pimp through a mobile phone number obtained from a website. After finalising the deal, the pimp provided a location and asked the decoy customer to come there. However, the pimp did not come but sent the victim girl. Rs 10,000 was finalised and the girl after collecting the money was to hand it over to the pimp, the next day.
“They (pimps) now know how police conduct the raid and how the traps are laid. As such, they keep changing their method of operation. Even if the deal is struck, the pimp takes hours and even changes the location at the very last minute before sending the girl all alone or by a taxi,” said an officer.
The girl rescued on Wednesday is a native of Agra. It is learnt that she has been coming to Goa since the last three years. Police has identified the pimp and are on the lookout for him.
Similar cases were also reported earlier this week and also in the last week of April wherein pimps had managed to hoodwink the Crime Branch police. However, the victims were rescued.