In a major breakthrough against human trafficking, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Kolkata Police rescued nine minor girls and two women in a raid on a house in the Burtolla area on Wednesday night.

Acting on a tip-off, the police also arrested six individuals, including a couple who allegedly ran the prostitution racket and four others allegedly identified as traffickers.

According to police sources, the raid on the upper floor of the house allegedly uncovered a clandestine prostitution business.

The alleged brothel owners were identified as Saraswati Banerjee (47) and Amit Banerjee (49) who resided at the location. The others arrested in the case are Suman Haldar (34) of Dakshin Kasiabad, South 24 Parganas; Puja Mistry (28) of Dum Dum, North 24 Parganas; Dip Chatterjee (22) of Adarsha Pally Rail Colony; and Akash Chowdhury (25) of Shyamnagar, North 24 Parganas.

The police are continuing their investigation to determine if more individuals are involved.

The city’s extensive red-light districts, including Sonagachi, are believed to have a high number of women and girls who are victims of trafficking. An NGO owner working closely with trafficking survivors said, “West Bengal, as a whole, is identified as a state with a high number of human trafficking cases in India. The state’s geographical location, sharing borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, makes it a key transit point for cross-border trafficking.”

The raid comes amid ongoing efforts by the Kolkata Police to crack down on illegal activities, including prostitution, in spas and massage parlours in the city and surrounding areas.