Arunachal: Itanagar Police Bust Interstate Child Trafficking Racket
Itanagar Police dismantled an organised interstate child trafficking network operating between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh after rescuing an injured minor who exposed the racket.
ITANAGAR- Police in Itanagar have busted an organised interstate child trafficking racket operating between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, rescuing three minor girls and arresting six persons accused of trafficking and exploiting children as domestic labourers, officials said on Thursday.
Capital Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar said the investigation began after a grievously injured seven-year-old girl was found wandering alone in F-Sector around 4.30 am on February 7. A local resident brought the child to the Women Police Station, where she was provided immediate medical treatment and counselling before being shifted to “Ane’s Home”, a one-stop support centre for women and children.
During counselling, the child reportedly revealed details that exposed a wider trafficking network, prompting police to register a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Child Labour Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
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Investigators found that the minor had allegedly been trafficked from Assam and forced to work as a domestic help in an Itanagar household, where she was subjected to repeated assault and cruelty. Police said she escaped on the night of February 6.
Further probe indicated a pattern of illegal transfer and sale of minor children across districts and states over several years. Authorities alleged that children were sold through informal cash transactions without legal adoption procedures, deprived of education and identity documents, and forced into domestic labour. Investigators also found that multiple children from the same families had been trafficked to different households.
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Acting on leads, police teams rescued three minor girls from different locations and arrested six persons for their alleged involvement. The accused include residents from Itanagar, Upper Subansiri and West Siang districts. Police said two other women allegedly involved in selling minors were arrested but not named due to legal considerations.
Notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were served to three additional individuals for suspected knowledge of the network. One of them is reportedly a constable in the Arunachal Pradesh Police, whose role is under investigation.
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The rescued children have been produced before the Child Welfare Committee and placed in recognised shelter homes for care and rehabilitation. Police said two children linked to the racket remain missing, including a boy untraceable since 2021, and efforts are ongoing to locate them.
SP Basar stated that the racket operated through informal brokers and family-level transactions, with minors bought and sold for cash and deployed as domestic workers. Reiterating zero tolerance towards crimes against women and children, he urged residents not to engage minors as domestic workers and to report suspected trafficking or child labour to police or Childline 1098.
Officials also acknowledged the role of the Women Police Station team, Child Welfare Committee, medical authorities and local residents in uncovering the case.
