Uzbek woman is Goa sex racket kingpin

The Goa police have issued a look-out notice for an Uzbekistan woman, who is suspected to be the kingpin in an international sex racket in the tourist state.

"We have issued a look-out notice for Gulnovra Jureau across the country so that she does not leave the country," police inspector Sandesh Chodankar, who is investigating the case, told PTI.

The state crime branch sleuths had arrested four Uzbek women -- Nigora Mahrapova (28), Rizavea Nargiza (23), Elvira Yusupova (33) and Rakhimova Nurkhon (35) -- in connection with the sex racket.

Their interrogation brought to light the role of 40-year-old Jureau who was staying with her Indian partner at Porvorim locality dotting the city. Police have been on the look-out for her as her arrest is expected to throw more light on the case.

Chodankar said that the lady has gone missing and all attempts were made to track her down.

"She cannot avoid the look out notice as it will prohibit her from leaving India," a police official said.

The sex racket involving the Uzbek women was unearthed last week by police, who trapped them by sending a decoy.

The women had told the police about Jureau, who was initially mistaken by police to be Russian.

"We did not even have her proper name but we worked on a few leads, which gave all the details about her," a senior police official said.

Further investigations revealed that the women had procured visas under different pretexts. One of them had stated that she came to India to study fashion designing.

Nargiza, the youngest of the four, had arrived in the country on April 8, a day before she was arrested under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, officials said.

Another woman had applied with authorities in Bangalore to extend her visa.

Except Nargiza, the other three women had come to Goa in December and January, they said.