Indian police busted a trafficking ring and rescued 17 women who were kept hidden in a secret basement in Mumbai, India on December 11.

Acting on a tip that women were being illegally used as "bar dancers," police raided Deepa Bar in the upscale Andheri area of the city.

The search operation failed to find any girls as the usual places where the women are hidden such as the bathroom, storage room and even the kitchen.

However, a large mirror in the make-up room caught the attention of the officials. An effort to remove the mirror from the wall turned out to be unsuccessful as the mirror had been very strategically attached to it.

Officials broke the mirror with a hammer and found a passage that led to a secret basement. Seventeen women, who were found hidden inside, emerged one by one.

A case has been registered against the staff including the bar's manager and cashier.

A police officer said the traffickers had installed an advanced electronic system on the premises to alert them about any raid and get ample time to hide the women.

Women are trafficked to Mumbai, the commercial hub of India, from all over the country and forced to work as sex workers or bar dancers.

Indian police busted a trafficking ring and rescued 17 women, who were kept hidden in a secret basement, in Mumbai in western India on December 11.

Acting on a tip off that women were being illegally used as ‘bar dancers,’ police raided Deepa Bar in the upscale Andheri area of the city.

The search operation failed to find any girls as the usual places where the women are hidden such as the bathroom, storage room and even the kitchen were empty.

However, a large mirror in the make-up room caught the attention of the officials. An effort to remove the mirror from the wall turned out to be unsuccessful as the mirror had been very strategically attached to it.

Officials broke the mirror with a hammer and found a passage that led to a secret basement. Seventeen women, who were found hidden inside, emerged one by one.

A case has been registered against the staff including the bar's manager and cashier.

A police officer said the traffickers had installed an advanced electronic system on the premises to alert them about any raid and get ample time to hide the women.

Women are trafficked to Mumbai, the commercial hub of India, from all over the country and forced to work as sex workers or bar dancers.