'The Cage’- Kamathipura from above, which is Asia’s largest red light district in Mumbai. A large proportion of the women and young girls who work there have been trafficked and exploited. Kamathipura is now a lawless place controlled by gangsters, whose main trade is the ‘flesh trade’. Forcing women into abusive and dangerous situations, made to work as sex slaves, in the network of brothels commonly known as “the cages”.© Hazel Thompson

One of the oldest brothel houses on 14th lane, with gangsters, young criminals and pimps guarding each floor and brothels. This house was built in the time the British Army used the area as a comfort zone. In the early 20th century, 100,000 of women were trafficked into British India from continental Europe and Japan. Today most of the girls are trafficked outside India from Nepal, Bangladesh. Then from inside India, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil, Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are the high-supply zones for women who are forced to become sex slaves.© Hazel Thompson

Gangsters and pimps prowl the streets of the red light at night, watching and controlling everyone’s movements. Many people describe the gangland like an open prison that you can never escape.© Hazel Thompson

A girl arguing with a customer in the early hours of the morning on 14th Lane. The trafficked girls are held in appalling circumstances, beaten and abused, with little opportunity of ever being free from this vicious circle of slavery. They are normally caged for 3-5 years until they are 'broken', before being allowed out on their own to solicit work on the street.© Hazel Thompson

A girl on 14th lane, taking a customer into one of the cubicles. The act takes 5-10 mins and costs between Rd 200-500. ($5-$10) Younger girls often trafficked minors between the ages 12-16. cost between Rs1,000-2,000 ($20-$40). Virgins come at a premium and are auctioned off to the highest bidder.© Hazel Thompson

A customer hides his face as he leaves a brothel on 14th Lane.© Hazel Thompson

A customer hides his face as he leaves a brothel on 14th Lane.© Hazel Thompson

A customer hides his face as he leaves a brothel on 14th Lane.© Hazel Thompson

A 'wooden' box cage, where girls are abused and held captive until they are 'broken' and will not try runaway from the brothels. ''I tried to hurt myself. I tried to commit suicide..take poison and die, but I could not. It was a terrible place..so small, so full of darkness. I did not know whether it was day or night. Out of desperation I had to give in to this kind of work.'' Rekha May 2010.© Hazel Thompson

Girls in a brothel in Falkland road in the red-light area. There are currently estimated 20,000 prostitutes in Kamathipura, the majority of which have been trafficked. The average age of entry into Kamathipura is 12 (but its often as young as 7). The girls who are trafficked, especially the minors, become sex slaves. They are usually held in the brothel ‘cages’ for 3-5 years, until they have been ‘broken’ and the madams allow them to sell themselves openly on the street, in front of the brothel houses. The girls are still not free though and describe the red light area as an open prison.© Hazel Thompson

A gangster watches closely his 'sex slaves' from a brothel, as they solicit for customers below on 14th Lane. ''No one talks back to them, everyone is scared of them. So scared, we can't even go to the police.' © Hazel Thompson

Girl’s shoes lay abandoned outside a brothel entrance.© Hazel Thompson

A gang fight breaks out on 14th Lane in broad daylight on the busiest day of the week for the sex trade, a Sunday. Pimps and gangsters chase and beat up a rival gang pimp for being drunk and rude. Later that night, the victim retaliated with his gang. Two men ended up in hospital with life threatening injuries. © Hazel Thompson

Gangsters run the red light, with people watching your every move. Violence and crime are a regular occurrence in the area, as fights and murders are frequent.© Hazel Thompson

Gutters filled with metres deep rubbish and filth run between the houses and lanes. Rats thrive and disease in the area is rife and there are incidents of girls leaping to their death trying to escape the criminal through the gutters.© Hazel Thompson