Six women rescued in spa raids in Visakhapatnam

On the night of July 30, 2024, around 200 police officers conducted simultaneous raids on 71 spas and massage centers in Visakhapatnam. During the raids, the Visakhapatnam police registered an FIR and invoked the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act against a spa in Seethampeta under Dwaraka police station limits for alleged involvement in unlawful activities. The spa’s organizer and three others were detained, while six women were rescued. Additionally, the police issued notices to 21 spa centers for various violations, such as expired trade licenses, lack of labor and GST certificates, and non-payment of taxes.

The emergence of ‘Thai Spas’ has been notable in Visakhapatnam. In a previous raid in November 2023, Visakhapatnam City Police inspected 77 spas and massage centers for suspected illegal activities and violations of the Shops and Establishment Act.

It was found that many female workers in these spas were from the northeastern region and Nepal, whose appearances are similar to Thai girls. Some Thai girls were brought on tourist visas but faced charges for overstaying after their visas expired. As a substitute, girls from impoverished families in the northeastern region were brought in.

The raiding team also observed that some center owners operated without the necessary permissions and had installed doors for cross-gender massages. The spa and massage center owners did not issue identity cards to their employees or maintain visitor logs. An officer noted that only two spas were involved in cross massages and were issued notices under Section 41(A).

The spa raids centered around spas and massage centres predominantly located in Siripuram, Pandurangapuram, East Point Colony, Seethammadhara, Dwarakanagar, and MVP Colony, under Three Town and Fourth Town limits in Visakhapatnam.

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