Bhubaneswar, Oct. 15: Sex rackets continue to operate clandestinely in the city despite frequent crackdowns.

It is a known fact that such rackets often operate from beauty parlours, hotels and other establishments. But now, police have found that some of the pimps are drawing customers through advertisements in newspapers and handbills.

The police said the pimps put in advertisements of ayurvedic clinics, ayurvedic massage parlours and so on in newspapers. The words in the advertisements at times indicate that the parlours will provide more than just beauty treatment.

The modus operandi of the sleaze business changed drastically after the cops intensified their drive against massage parlours, salons and beauty parlours, many of which used to run sex rackets.

Once a call to a number mentioned in the ads or handbills was received, the operator would then ask the caller to choose from housewives, teens, models and so on.

"We have busted a sex racket operating from an ayurvedic clinic at Old Town. Further investigation revealed that the pimp patronising the racket used to put in advertisements in newspapers to attract customers to the clinic," said a police official.

Official statistics available with the police reveal that the number of sex rackets busted in 2015 is four times the figure in 2012.

While the police had busted four rackets and arrested 10 persons in 2012, the number went up to 17 in 2015. The police arrested 66 persons in this connection in 2015.

The police have also found a new trend of pimps renting out high-end flats and operating sleaze trade from there to avoid suspicion.

"Earlier, the pimps used to choose rented accommodations in isolated areas. But now, they have zoned in on flats in posh apartments as they think this will raise less suspicion," said a police official.

Keeping an eye on the flourishing sex rackets in the residential areas, the police had earlier made it mandatory for landlords to register their tenants with respective police stations. The landlords are required to submit the tenants' particulars such as permanent address, occupation, phone number, photo copy of the tenant's identity proof such as passport, driving licence, voter card, PAN card and ration card.

Moreover, the police, during raids, have found a number of sex workers claiming that their customers are either their relatives or boyfriends. "In such cases, we interrogate the girl and her male companion separately. We ask both of them about their identity proof and educational background. Often we find discrepancies in their versions," said the police official.

The police also admitted that it had become difficult to trace the sex workers as well as their customers, who used hotels for the trade.

The police said the sex workers and their customers often stayed at hotels by providing the photocopies of their identity cards - which made it difficult for the police to bust the rackets.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said raids on massage parlours would be intensified. "We are also trying to find out if the pimps, who were arrested in the past and currently on bail, are back in the trade," said Bhoi.