A couple, along with six of their aides, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Tuesday for trafficking girls and running brothels in a red light area of the national capital.
Aafaq Hussain, a resident from Moradabad, used to work as construction labour and his wife Saira Begum, a resident from Hyderabad, was a sex worker in the same area.
The couple have been running the brothels since 1999.
They trafficked over 5,000 girls from Nepal and remote areas of West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Assam, Andhra and other states.
According to the police, there are two to three major gangs who operate and control 70 percent of brothels, out of which the duo controlled a majority of them.
Officials further pointed out that the couple had a muscleman, named Sarfaras alias Billi, through whom a tight vigil was kept in the area to prevent raids.
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"Their modus operandi is that they bring children from other states, mostly from Nepal, by luring and enticing their parents. And then through their agents, the children are brought to Delhi. Rs. One-lakh are paid to their parents. Unfortunately, these children are kept in poor condition and often mistreated. Eventually without any choice, they are forced into prostitution," Ravinder Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police, said.
Saira was first arrested in 1990. In 2001, she was convicted for seven years but eutned to the trad soon after.
The officials said six luxury cars, three crore rupees and six property documents were seized from them.
The police officials have registered case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Saira was first arrested in 1990. In 2001, she was convicted for seven years but returned to the trade soon after.