After the arrests of a policeman and a travel agent, the Crime Branch (CB) has received strong evidence that the gulf sex racket and Nedumbassery human trafficking cases are interlinked.
According to Crime Branch officials the duo have played key roles in both the cases and they have connection with various sex racketeers operating in Gulf Countries.
Sources said that the travel agency run by Niyas at Mathilakam was shady and Sureesh, one of the sex racket kingpins in West Asia had allegedly invested money in it. “Lissy Sojan, who was a partner of Sureesh in running flesh trade business confessed to us that he had invested money in several business establishments. She had also said that Sureesh has a travel agency in Mathilakam, which is registered in some other person’s name. We suspect the travel agency of Niyas is the one which Lissy Sojan mentioned. We are seeking his custody for ascertaining this aspect,” a Crime Branch official said.
The arrest of Prasanth Kumar, the policeman who served in the Immigration Wing will further help Crime Branch in getting to the names of the police officers who had assisted sex racketeers.
Crime Branch will also interrogate Prasant over his connection with Sureesh. “Prasanth was the one who influenced other police officers for not checking the document of women while they were being trafficked for flesh trade. We suspect that more policemen are involved in the Gulf sex racket case,” sources said.
Both cases came to light last year. At first, a woman from Kazhakootam who escaped from sex racketeers arrived at Mumbai Airport from Dubai. The Mumbai police found that passport possessed by the woman was fake. Mumbai police recommended Kerala police to investigate the case, which was later handed over to Crime Branch. The girl was taken to a West Asian country by Lissy Sojan in the pretext of domestic work using a fake passport.
A detailed probe was ordered into the CIAL human trafficking case after an Assistant Commandant with the Immigration Wing, conducted an inquiry and filed a report against Ajeeb, a civil police officer for having links with travel agents.