Imagery Representative
Operation Plain Sight
In one of our latest successful operations in India, sex trafficking was hiding in plain sight at a luxury mall.
As you walk down the street of an upscale neighborhood in India, the glass windows of a sleek six-story mall rise before you. You step into the cool atrium of the mall, your heels clicking on the marble floor as you approach the elevator.
You watch from the glass elevator as floors filled with shops and offices pass by until you are deposited on the sixth floor. Stepping out, the aroma of biryani wafts around you from the restaurant on a nearby corner. On your way to the movie theater at the end of the corridor, you pass a small storefront with “Massage and Spa” written in blue letters on the glass doors. You see three young women in black uniforms waiting behind the front desk.
You wonder if the spa is any good, but don’t give it another thought as you approach the clerk to buy your movie ticket.
Although you or I might pass by this innocent-seeming business and not give it a second thought, The Exodus Road’s BRAVO team in India is constantly analyzing data from cyber intelligence that alerts them of red flags for sex trafficking.
When this spa and massage parlor came to their attention, they began Operation Plain Sight to gather information and evidence for law enforcement. During multiple visits to the massage parlor to investigate, they spent time building relationships with the workers, and they noticed many of the telltale signs that the women were in fact trafficked and not working willingly as prostitutes.
BRAVO team worked closely with the local police force, with whom they’ve built a strong partnership. And after 9 days of investigation, they participated in a raid of the massage parlor with local law enforcement.
2 women and 1 underage girl were liberated from their trafficker and taken to a safe home.
Their female trafficker was arrested. They have a strong case against her, and she will face justice for her crimes.
Though often sex trafficking hides in plain sight, there are people out there scouring these businesses for victims of trafficking, thanks to your support.
Operation Niralasa: 3 additional young women liberated from sex trafficking
Two weeks after the successful raid of the massage parlor, BRAVO team participated in another investigation, Operation Niralasa. They investigated a private brothel where they believed women and girls were being trafficked from Bangladesh and West Bengal.
As a result, another 2 women and 1 girl were liberated from their trafficker. 2 male traffickers were arrested and will face justice.
We are so thankful for our team in India who are relentless in their pursuit of justice and freedom for these vulnerable women and girls.
And we are so thankful to you — our community that has made the freedom of these 6 young women possible.
Donate to help our operatives investigate women and girls being forced into sex work.
*Some details of the story have been changed for the safety and privacy of those involved in these operations. Images are representative.
