Uzbek woman caught in UP in sex racket case, cops probe plastic surgery claim

An Uzbekistan national was arrested in Lucknow for running a high-profile sex racket, with police suspecting that foreign women were brought into the city through illegal means and underwent plastic surgery to alter their appearances before being forced into prostitution.According to officials, police had been searching for Uzbek national Lola Kayumova for nearly a year. She was detained by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and subsequently handed over to the local police.Following hours of questioning and based on details gathered during the probe, investigating agencies are now examining the wider network, including the trafficking of foreign women, the use of fake documents and the operation of the sex racket.Police alleged Kayumova brought women from Nepal and Uzbekistan to Lucknow through illegal means. Investigators also suspect that a doctor was involved in altering the women's appearances through plastic surgery. After their appearances were allegedly changed, the women were housed in flats in upscale areas of Lucknow and forced into prostitution, police said.The investigation began in June 2025, when a team from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) raided an apartment in Lucknow and apprehended two foreign women, identified as Holida and Nilofar, who were allegedly associated with Kayumova. Investigators have also found information indicating that a lookout notice had been issued against Kayumova in Uzbekistan.Police said Kayumova had secretly married in Lucknow and subsequently continued to stay in the city illegally. Investigating agencies have also gathered information about her alleged links with networks operating in Uzbekistan and Nepal.The probe is now examining the possible involvement of other people connected to the network as agencies work to establish the full extent of Kayumova's links with groups operating in Uzbekistan and Nepal.- EndsPublished On: Aug 12, 2026 10:55 IST