New Delhi: In a bid to prevent any unlawful activities involving human trafficking on the Indo-Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in the neighbouring country, the SSB has issued an alert and is keeping a high vigil along the porous border.
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), mandated to guard this 1,751-km long frontier and also collect intelligence on suspicious activities, has apprehended about 50 young girls and boys, who were allegedly being trafficked along this border after March 25, the day when the strong earthquake hit Nepal and eastern parts of India.
The SSB has caught about 15 suspected traffickers in less than a month’s time — 10 Indians and five Nepalese — who were making these young boys and girls cross the border illegally, which the security agencies believe could be for a variety of purposes like indulging in flesh trade, forced labour, beggary and illegal working as domestic helps among others.
While the agencies suspect that some of them may be victims of the quake, the local police of these areas is still in the process of carrying out investigation in these cases.
“We are witnessing a massive spurt in trafficking incidents along the Nepal border post the quake. The numbers have drastically shot up. Our units, especially along areas where Bihar and Uttar Pradesh touch the border, are apprehending an increasing number of young boys and girls from both identified crossing routes and illegal tracts.
“We have asked all our border units to be on alert and keep a special eye on suspicious movement from both sides,” SSB director general B.D. Sharma said.
Adding to the prevalent apprehension, two young Uzbeki girls were detained from an “illegal” border crossing area near Bihar’s Raxaul on Saturday, in contrast to the usual apprehensions of youngsters of either Indian or Nepalese nationality at this border.
