HYDERABAD: The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Secunderabad Division, has rescued 19 children, victims of trafficking and detained 10 traffickers.
The RPF while escorting Train No. 12792 (Danapur-Secunderabad) conducted targeted raids from Ballarshah to Kazipet station. The police force kept a close watch on suspected coaches to identify the seats and coach numbers of the traffickers.
The operation was carried out by the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) of the RPF.
In the operation, 19 child victims were rescued. At least 10 traffickers coming from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were detained in this connection. At the Kazipet railway station, the RPF inspector coordinated with the GRP and Railway child line for further legal action.
Debashmita C. Banerjee, senior divisional security commissioner, Secunderabad Division, stated that “RPF, Secunderabad Division has implemented several measures to achieve this objective, including deployment of additional personnel at railway stations, installation of CCTV cameras, and launch of awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of human trafficking.
RPF has also established a dedicated helpline no. 139 for the public to report suspected cases of trafficking and has collaborated with other law enforcement agencies and NGOs to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases.
She further stated that the RPF is committed to its efforts to end human trafficking and plans to conduct further tactical raids to bring an end to this menace. RPF appeals to the passengers and public to report any suspicious activity and to support its efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society from the cruel and inhumane practices of human trafficking.
The operation was conducted in collaboration with an NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, government railway police (GRP), and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) based on intelligence inputs from the RPF's Cyber Cell.
