Anti-human trafficking unit brings missing minors home

Explaining the working of the unit, the inspector in charge, Nafe Singh said, “When a case is marked to us, we start from the beginning. The family members and friends of the missing child are questioned. After we get certain leads, raids are conducted.”

Recently, a police team had raided some villages in Uttar Pradesh to locate a 15-year-old girl,  Neetu, who had gone missing from her residence in Colony number 4 in August last year.

Last year, as many 261 cases of kidnapping and abduction were reported, of which 174 were women and minor girls. This year, till April 10, as many as 57 such cases have been registered. In many cases, the minor returns after a few days, the police said.

AHTU also raids the places where they receive any information of child labour. Last year, the AHTU teams had conducted 17 raids in which 45 minors were rescued and sent to ‘Snehalya’ in Maloya village. This year, two such raids were carried out and two children were rescued.

“We are also in touch with the AHTUs of other states. A common software links us all. Whenever a child or a person goes missing, the police officials of that area upload the picture and details of the child so that other police officials can identify them,” said Inspector Nafe Singh.