Surat: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Surat Police busted a major sex racket and rescued 13 Thai women during a late-night raid on a hotel in Jahangirpura on Saturday.

The police also took nine people, including five clients, into custody. The racket was run from the premises of a hotel. The AHTU team, acting on a tip-off, reached the fourth floor of the hotel to find the door locked from inside.

The authorities broke open the door and caught the accused red-handed. Among those arrested were hotel managers Rupesh Mishra alias Maxi and Bipin Babariya alias Bunty, housekeeping staff Sanjay Hingade and Rahul Solanki, and five clients.

The racket was apparently being operated by one Vijay Kasture who had been arrested from the same hotel six months ago on similar charges. He resumed operations after securing bail.

Kasture allegedly circulated photos of the Thai women to clients, while Mishra and Babariya admitted customers only after his approval. A QR code linked to Yogesh Talekar’s bank account, allegedly used for digital payments by clients, was also recovered.

The police have identified another manager, Ganpat Yadav, and a driver, Ashok Mama, who allegedly ferried the women to and from the hotel, though both are yet to be arrested.

The rescued women failed to produce physical passports and showed only digital copies stored on their phones. They claimed the originals were “kept at home.” It is being suspected that most of them entered India on tourist visas and stayed back after coming into contact with the gang.

Their documents will be verified and the Thai embassy will be contacted if any violations of visa rules are detected.