RPF Rescues 7 Child Trafficking Victims At Secunderabad Railway Station

 Hyderabad: In a coordinated anti-trafficking operation, the railway protection force (RPF) of the Secunderabad division, along with Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), rescued seven children from traffickers aboard the Raxaul Express. The train was en route from Sirpur Kagaznagar to Secunderabad.

The operation was part of the ongoing Action Against Human Trafficking (AAHT) initiative and involved inspections across general, sleeper and AC coaches. The traffickers and victims were found to be travelling from Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Once the train reached Secunderabad, the children and the accused were taken to the RPF post and subsequently presented before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) via BBA for legal procedures. Senior Divisional Security Commissioner of Secunderabad said, “Our anti-human trafficking operations are driven by vigilant surveillance, inter-agency coordination and the tireless work of our AHTU teams and NGO partners like BBA.”

In 2023 alone, Operation AAHT led to the rescue of 310 children and the arrest of 174 traffickers. In 2022, 305 children were rescued and 137 traffickers apprehended. The rescued children were shifted to government-run safe houses—Malakpet for boys and Kachiguda for girls. Most of the victims were between 14 and 18 years old, primarily from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Fewer cases were reported from West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Officials said that many were trafficked to Hyderabad and forced into child labour, often without access to basic needs like food or shelter, and suffered physical and mental abuse. A BBA official told Deccan Chronicle that the children reached out for help while in transit and were immediately moved to safety. “We will ensure they receive professional psychological support to recover from trauma,” the official said.

Authorities added that efforts are being made to reunite the children with their families. In the case of orphans, the government will provide long-term care, including access to education or employment opportunities.