Guwahati: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has rescued a total of 189 victims of human trafficking in less than three months this year, while 21 of them were rescued between July 17 and 22.
All the victims of human trafficking, including women and minors, were rescued from trains and railway stations during operations conducted by RPF personnel.
On the other hand, the RPF also arrested four accused between April to June this year for being allegedly involved in cases of human trafficking.
“RPF train escort parties and staff deployed at stations are alerted to remain vigilant and on the lookout for suspected persons involved in human trafficking as well as the movement of children in a suspicious manner, travelling alone without guardian. Efforts are being made by conducting regular checks in close coordination with the NGOs. Sensitisation of public are also being carried out,” the NF Railway stated in a press statement.
Human trafficking is rampant in Assam due to various reasons, especially poverty. Women and children are trafficked from the state to other parts of the country for domestic works, forced labour and forced marriage.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), at least 308 cases of human trafficking were recorded in Assam in 2018. The figure was just behind Maharashtra, which registered a total of 311 human trafficking cases, the highest in the country.
Another 177 cases of human trafficking were recorded in the state in 2020, of which 157 were rescued.
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