RPF conducts month-long drive against human trafficking

Human trafficking, especially of women and children, for sexual exploitation, prostitution, forced labour, forced marriage, domestic servitude, adoption, begging, organ transplant, drug peddling among others is an organised crime and the most abominable violation of human rights. Indian Railways, being a major transport network of the country, is being used by human traffickers for transportation of victims from source areas to destination areas.

RPF with a pan India reach under a unitary structure of command and control – over the years – has developed an efficient response mechanism for redressal of security related grievances of passengers.

During the last five years, RPF has rescued 2,178 persons from the clutches of traffickers besides rescuing more than 65,000 children and scores of women and men in need of care and protection.

In order to leverage its strategic positioning at stations and in trains, its pan India reach and its response mechanism to supplement the efforts of Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) of police and other LEAs, RPF has recently launched an operation against human trafficking called “Operation AAHT”.

As part of this initiative, RPF has very recently set up 750 AHTUs across the country that would coordinate with Police, AHTUs functioning in thana, district and state levels, intelligence units, NGOs and other stake holders and take effective action on human trafficking through rail.

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Recently RPF has signed a MoU with an NGO called Association of Voluntary Action (AVA) also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan, which will be supplementing RPF with training and will also be giving inputs regarding human trafficking to RPF.

In East Coast Railway jurisdiction, RPF has rescued 169 minors including 140 boys and 29 girls. The above minors had fled away from their homes or were missing. 65 runaway minors including 51 boys and 14 girls and 104 missing minors including 89 boys and 15 girls have also been traced and rescued by RPF in ECoR.

Apart from this, two minor boys were rescued in July 2022 from the clutches of human trafficker and arrested one in this connection.

To take the momentum further, a month long special drive against human trafficking through railways was launched in the month of July 2022.

The RPF field units were advised to work in co-ordination with state police, LEAs and other stakeholders in this regard for immediate response to inputs received regarding trafficking and detection of trafficking cases.

The police of various states/UTs were also requested to take joint action with RPF to bring synergy into the efforts made in this direction.

During the month, sustained action under Operation AAHT led to rescue of 151 minor boys, 32 minor girls (total 183 minors) and 3 women with arrest of 47 human traffickers.

The drive created a platform for all stake holders to come together to take joint action against human trafficking.