Cops bust sex racket of desi Russians

Cops bust sex racket of desi Russians
Preetu Nair | TNN

Calangute: For the first time ever in Goa, the police have busted a racket of Indians duping people by posing as sex workers from Russia, Portugal and other nations.
This came to light when the Calangute police picked up three transsexuals from outside a popular tourist joint in Baga on Friday night. The racket has been continuing for some time now. Police informed that these transsexuals would gyrate in shacks and offer themselves for escort services. Besides the three picked up, there are that many if not more plying their trade in the North Goa belt.
A police officer from Calangute said, “They dance in shacks at Calangute and Baga and also work as commercial sex workers. However, sometimes they even cheat and rob clients.” This is the first time a racket of this sort has been busted in the state.
The stereotype image of hijras—sari clad woman, with hairy arms, hands clapping and gruff voice—has changed. The new age transsexuals or eunuchs, who have gone in for sex change operations, even silicon transplants, pose as sexy ladies and offer their services.
It is not uncommon to see a beautiful, sexy ‘lady’ sway to music on a shack as customers drool over her. The show goes on through the night and in the early morning, the ‘lady’ leaves the shack with the highest paying customer.
Upasna (24) was born a hijra, but in the business she was popular as a Russian escort, dancing in shacks in Calangute and Baga. To survive, she even learnt Russian. “In the world of men and women we are neither. Because we are different, everyone shuns us. So, we find various means to survive,” said Upasna. Transsexuals head for Goa’s coasts
Calangute: Upasna, a transexual who was arrested by the police of Saturday for “moving around in a suspicious manner”, had first come to Goa about seven years back. She was then 16.
By the time she was 19, she found herself out of ‘business’ in Mumbai and shifted base to Goa. “I started working as a bar dancer from the age of 17 in Mumbai. When the government closed down the bars, I was forced to become a prostitute and decided to come to Goa during the tourist season.
As there was a high demand for transsexuals by tourists, I settled down in the state,” said Upasna. She has a large clientele, mostly Indian middle aged men and even elderly foreigners.
“Business is good during the tourist season. The shack owners are fine with us dancing in their premises as it attracts customers. The shacks do good business and we earn,” said her friend Julie (21). At night, Julie pretends to be a Portuguese national and also acts as an escort, partnering men to clubs at Anjuna and Vagator that insist on couple entry.
Sophia from Rishta, an NGO that works to create an awareness about HIV/AIDS amongst transsexuals said, “They are operating in the coastal belt. We are trying to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and also trying to bring about a behavioural change in them.”
The trio were bailed out on Saturday evening after they gave an undertaking of good conduct before the Mapusa sub-divisional magistrate.

2008 May 19 Times Of India Goa