Police Bust Interstate Child Trafficking Racket in Northeastern India

Police have dismantled an interstate child trafficking and prostitution ring targeting girls from Arunachal Pradesh. Two minor girls were rescued and five people were arrested. Increased societal awareness and proactive measures are emphasized to protect children. The police have already submitted a charge sheet for an earlier trafficking case.

Police have dismantled an interstate child trafficking and prostitution ring targeting girls from the northeastern region of Arunachal Pradesh, an official reported on Sunday.

Two minor girls were rescued and five individuals were arrested from Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, according to Capital Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh. The case surfaced on June 10 following information about two missing girls aged 15 and 16 years received by the Itanagar Women police station.

The victims were rescued from a house in Chimpu, Papum Pare district. One 15-year-old girl, a resident of East Kameng district, was lured to Delhi in September 2023 and forced into prostitution. The other girl, from Kurung Kumey district, was about to be trafficked to Delhi when she was rescued. A special police team investigating the case made multiple arrests over 15 days. Two, including the ringleader, were arrested in New Delhi while three others were apprehended in the northeastern state. Singh emphasized the need for increased societal awareness and proactive measures to combat such exploitation. The investigation continues, with an assurance that all perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, police have submitted a charge sheet in a separate case involving the trafficking of five minor girls in May before the court of the Special POCSO judge against 28 accused individuals. Singh noted that police have already arrested two people in that case, with more arrests likely to follow.