By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 19: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has alleged that a hotel in Dhankheti is being used to facilitate prostitution, based on statements made by a sex worker during recent operations conducted by the organisation.
The claim comes as the HYC intensifies its crackdown on illegal flesh trade in the Khyndai Lad area over the past few days. The drives have reportedly triggered tension on the ground, leading to a confrontation between sex workers and pimps that was captured on video and widely circulated by passersby.
According to the HYC, despite repeated police raids, prostitution continues unabated in the area, with many of those detained quickly returning to the trade. The organisation further claimed that the activities have now spread beyond Khyndai Lad to other parts of Shillong.
On the night of April 17, the HYC, led by its secretary Issac Basaiawmoit, conducted another raid in Khyndai Lad after his name surfaced in the viral video showing the altercation. During the operation, two sex workers were detained, while evidence indicated that pimps were still actively soliciting customers, particularly targeting non-locals.
The viral video shows a young sex worker confronting two pimps and an older woman, objecting to their interference and warning others against operating in the area.
The HYC also alleged a strong nexus between prostitution and drug abuse. Two pimps apprehended during the drive admitted to consuming drugs. Further revelations suggested that drug users have been occupying a bus shed opposite the DC’s Office, using it as both a shelter and a spot to prepare sex workers before sending them to clients.
A local taxi driver informed the HYC that following intensified police crackdowns, pimps have become more cautious and active, while sex workers now operate discreetly from hidden locations. They no longer gather in groups and only appear when contacted by pimps who arrange clients.
Meanwhile, one sex worker revealed that the activities were earlier concentrated near the Meghalaya Transport Corporation area in Jail Road. She disclosed that she was lured into the trade by a man she had met only once and has been involved in prostitution for the past three years, starting at the age of 17. She expressed a desire to leave the profession but said she lacks the necessary support and means to do so.
The HYC secretary stated that the organisation’s continued operations were prompted by public complaints about the persistence of these illegal activities during late-night hours, despite ongoing enforcement efforts by the authorities.
