Hyderabad Police Strengthens Anti-Human Trafficking, Juvenile Bureau Units
The AHTU is entrusted with a comprehensive range of responsibilities aimed at curbing trafficking of women and children
Hyderabad: In a significant step to bolster its commitment to combating human trafficking and safeguarding children, the Hyderabad police on Tuesday announced the formal constitution and inauguration of renovated facilities for its Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and Juvenile Bureau (JB) unit.
Alongside these developments, a groundbreaking Victim Assistance Unit (VAU), established in collaboration with Prajwala NGO, was also launched. The inauguration ceremony, held at CCS Hyderabad, was presided over by CV Anand, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad.
The AHTU has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of eight personnel, including one Inspector, two Sub-Inspectors (SIs), two Head Constables (HCs), and three Police Constables (PCs). The unit is entrusted with a comprehensive range of responsibilities aimed at curbing the trafficking of women and children, including identifying trafficking hotspots in both physical and online domains.
The unit would also gather actionable intelligence to facilitate timely rescue operations and monitoring individuals involved in trafficking networks such as pimps, touts, brothel operators, and customers. It would also conduct pre-rescue, rescue, and post-rescue operations in coordination with local police stations and follow up on pending trial cases to ensure justice.
The AHTU would conduct raids to apprehend traffickers apart from facilitating the repatriation of Indian victims to their home states and the deportation of foreign nationals in coordination with concerned authorities.
During the current year, the AHTU has demonstrated significant effectiveness, conducting raids that resulted in registering 23 cases, rescuing 44 victims, and arresting 71 individuals.
The Juvenile Bureau Team, also known as the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU), has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of seven personnel, comprising one Inspector, two SIs, two HCs, and two PCs. Based at the Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, the JB Team's primary responsibility is to protect children from atrocities such as child labor, human trafficking, and bonded labor.
The team works in coordination with the Child Welfare Committee to repatriate missing or traced juveniles to their respective homes throughout India. This year, the JB unit successfully repatriated four children within the state and seven children to other states. Additionally, under the "Operation Smile" and "Operation Muskan" programs, 896 children were rescued.
The Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) has been launched in association with Prajwala NGO. This first-of-its-kind center in Telangana will play a crucial role in supporting victims of immoral human trafficking. The VAU aims to help victims recall their exploitation in a trauma-informed manner and prepare them to depose evidence confidently and without fear during court proceedings.
It would facilitate access to government schemes, legal aid, rehabilitation benefits, and psychosocial support and aid victims in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The VAU will be manned by staff from Prajwala, NGO, and supervised by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Women Safety Wing, and her staff.