Kenyan Woman Rescued From Suspected Sex Network in India

A Kenyan woman has been rescued from a suspected prostitution network in Patna, India, after police raided two hotels in the city’s Danapur subdivision.

The woman was among three women rescued during overnight operations on Saturday, October 3, as police investigated allegations that the hotels were being used for commercial sex activities. Police first recovered the Kenyan woman from one of the hotels and took copies of her passport as they worked to establish her identity and circumstances. She was later placed in protective custody as investigations continued.

Officers then raided another hotel, where they rescued two more women. Police also seized two mobile phones, the hotel register and other items considered relevant to the investigation.

The seized phones and records are expected to help investigators identify people who may have facilitated or benefited from the alleged operation. Two hotel managers were arrested in connection with the raids, according to Indian media reports. Police are examining the hotels’ records to determine whether the establishments were part of a wider trafficking or commercial sex network.

The case comes amid concerns over the risks faced by Kenyans seeking employment and other opportunities abroad. Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously warned against fraudulent overseas job offers, with traffickers accused of using online advertisements to recruit people with promises of employment before placing them in exploitative situations.

Some trafficking cases involving Kenyan women in Asia have involved travel on short-term visas, including tourist and medical visas. Such arrangements can make it difficult for victims to identify the circumstances they are being drawn into until they are already outside Kenya.

Indian authorities are expected to work with Kenyan diplomatic and consular officials as they establish the rescued woman’s circumstances and determine the next steps. Investigators will also seek to identify any intermediaries involved in the recruitment or movement of the women.

The investigation remains ongoing as police work to establish the full extent of the alleged network and determine whether other people were involved. Patna, the capital of Bihar in eastern India, is located about 1,000 kilometres from Mumbai.