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Inside a locked third-floor room of a Mumbai brothel, a 21-year-old woman from Bangladesh found a brief moment to send a message that would expose a cross-border human trafficking enterprise.
Razia* had been a salesgirl in Bangladesh before a woman offered her what seemed like a reliable job as a domestic worker in Mumbai. Instead, Razia and several others were taken to the West Bengal border, handed to a smuggler, and taken into India. After 20 days in confinement in Kolkata, they were transported to Mumbai and forced into sexual exploitation in a brothel.
Razia and another woman managed to send a message to her family who got in contact with an Atlas Free Network Member and sent details that helped the team locate them. After that, the team launched an intensive surveillance and coordinated rescue plan in collaboration with local police.
The day of the operation, the team moved floor by floor, breaking locks and barriers, and checking each room for hidden spaces. Razia was found on the third floor living in extreme conditions and visibly distressed. She was among the 45 women rescued that day. Many of the women had been trafficked or coerced into the sex trade by deception or force.
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The operation also resulted in the arrest of 34 traffickers—including pimps, brothel managers, and owners—and 28 sex buyers. Lawyers met with survivors immediately after the raid, recording statements and offering legal support, while food and care were provided on site.
Today, the survivors are free and receiving care in safe homes and legal proceedings are underway. The legal team continues to support survivors through every step in the process, making sure they are seen and empowered.
When you give to Atlas Free, you help women trapped in sexual exploitation every step the of the way to freedom: from rescue, to survivor care, to receiving justice in the courtroom.
Your gift this holiday season helps keep traffickers and sex buyers accountable. And when you give before the end of the year, you help provide safety and a warm bed for a survivor just like Razia.
*Name changed to protect the identity of the survivor.
