A child trafficking network operating in Arunachal Pradesh has been busted after police rescued 19 children from different parts of the state and arrested three people for their alleged involvement in trafficking children, police said on Tuesday.
A majority of the rescued children are below eight, with the youngest being around three, Superintendent of Police Sangey Thinley said.
The rescue operation was launched following a complaint filed by the Namsai Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The arrested persons have been identified as Gumnya Kochung, Marte Ete and Neha Gerory. Three persons were arrested in connection with child trafficking. The middlemen work on behalf of the trafficking network. They are well connected and know the demand. They target economically vulnerable families and take away their children for work in different parts of Arunachal Pradesh. In many cases, missing complaints are filed and the children do not return home.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered at the police station on August 17. “We have rescued 19 children across different places of Arunachal Pradesh. Police arrested 52 people in trafficking-related cases during the year, but no convictions were reported. The state also recorded the rescue of 38 victims, highlighting the gap between arrests, rescue efforts and successful prosecution in human trafficking cases.
We are investigating the case,” Superintendent of Police Sangey Thinley said. An activist involved in child rescue and rehabilitation said, “There is a shortage of manpower in Arunachal Pradesh and there is demand for workers in hotels, restaurants and as domestic help.
