Hyderabad Police is trying to nab the prime accused and kingpin of the online prostitution racket.
An online prostitution racket operated by an inter-state gang from Hyderabad, Bihar and Mumbai, was on Friday busted and a woman and three mediators allegedly involved in the flesh trade run from a make-shift brothel at Manikonda area in Hyderabad, were arrested, police said.
Police has identified the accused.
The Cyber Crime Police, while verifying the online commercials, came across a suspicious advertisement inviting prospective customers seeking female escort services in Hyderabad through a website.
"A decoy operation was launched, under which the number furnished in the advertisement was contacted. The receiver of the call transferred a photograph of a girl (through WhatsApp) asking to come to Madhapur, where the decoy was approached by two accused persons in a car," a release from Hyderabad Police said.
"The accused are part of a wider racket maintaining contacts between similar prostitution network bringing in girls from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and other major cities," police said.
The entire communication is maintained online and payments are made to the call girl, to conceal their hideouts.
The prime accused and kingpin of the racket Saleem and their web designer/operator Totu are absconding and efforts are on to nab them, police added.