A police operation across Arunachal Pradesh has freed 38 trafficking victims, 34 of them children, with four alleged facilitators taken into custody, officials said on Sunday.
Where the children were found
The rescued children were traced to multiple locations across the state, among them Aalo, Mechuka, Pasighat, Naharlagun, Itanagar and Longding, along with sections of neighbouring Assam, according to officials.
A case that began in Namsai
The sprawling rescue effort has its roots in a human trafficking case filed at Namsai Police Station last month. That single case has since widened into a state-spanning operation that has traced victims across six named locations and beyond, into Assam.
Who is running the probe
Namsai Deputy Superintendent of Police Kengo Dirchi is heading the investigation, working under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Sangey Thinley. The team has coordinated closely with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) throughout the operation.
Thinley said four people suspected of facilitating the trafficking have been arrested so far. The most recent arrest is Rupali Padung, whose alleged role in transporting victims and placing them illegally is now under scrutiny as part of the wider inquiry.
Tracing the network behind the trafficking
Investigators are now trying to map the larger network they believe lies behind the operation. That work includes scrutiny of financial transactions and electronic evidence tied to the accused, along with a search for secondary links connecting them to others. Police have also begun questioning parents, guardians and individuals at whose locations some of the victims were allegedly placed, officials said, adding that further legal action will follow depending on what the evidence shows.
Care for the rescued children
Thinley said the rescued children are now being looked after through the CWC and DCPU, which are providing counselling and rehabilitation support. Authorities have kept the identities of the rescued minors strictly confidential in line with legal provisions, officials said, as the investigation continues.
