Navi Mumbai Police Conduct Raids in Kharghar, Detain Foreign Nationals and Property Owners

The operation carried out by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Navi Mumbai began at 7 am on Friday within the jurisdiction of Kharghar police station, officials said.

Teams led by Senior Inspectors Sandip Nigde and Avinash Kaldate inspected residential premises in Sector 35F and Sector 30, police said. During the checks, authorities found six suspects, including five Nigerian nationals, living in the area without valid visas or legal documentation.

Police also took action against two house owners for renting out their properties to foreign nationals without submitting the mandatory ‘C-Form’ on the government’s online portal, which is required under Indian regulations. The accused have been booked under provisions of the Foreigners Act and the Registration of Foreigners Act.

Meanwhile, the detained foreign nationals have been issued ‘Leave India’ notices by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

In another significant operation, the Navi Mumbai crime branch had rescued a Bangladeshi minor girl and six other women, including two Bangladeshi nationals, from a prostitution racket operating out of a hotel in Taloja MIDC. The raid was carried out at a hotel following a tip-off received on December 21 by Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade.

The informer alleged that the hotel management was facilitating prostitution by charging customers Rs 2000 and providing women kept in lodge rooms. To verify the information, police sent a decoy customer to the lodge. After a pre-arranged signal was received, the crime branch team conducted a raid and rescued the victims, who were allegedly being exploited for prostitution.

Police had arrested three accused — the hotel owner, manager, and a service executive. Investigations had also revealed that the trio had allegedly conspired to procure and harbour the minor girl and the women. The service boy is accused of accepting money from customers and arranging illegal activities within the lodge.

The operation was conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell under the directions of Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe and senior officials. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, said police.