Child Trafficking has been troubling the country for a long time. In recent years this illegal activity has risen more than expected. Till now, there are thousands of families that have experienced the loss of their children. Day by day new cases are surfacing and police are making their full efforts to kill this illegal activity from the roots. Recently in Uttar Pradesh, the police have busted a child trafficking racket successfully.
The incident took place on Monday when the Uttar Pradesh police’s team carried out a special operation known as “Operation Khushi”. The operation took place in Aligarh and surrounding areas as a part of the anti-child trafficking.
First police officials caught three kidnappers who were passing around the village of Borna. Then the police officers raided another area called Ganga Nagar Colony, based on kidnappers’ information. Police found another two children who were freed from the gang. By the end of the operation, the police team had successfully arrested 16 persons and rescued six kidnapped children in the operation.
Later, those kidnapped or missing children were handed over to their families. Further legal proceedings will be conducted against the gang members. The gang includes sixteen people out of the nine were women.
The male members of the group are responsible for snatching children from their parents or caretakers. Then they hand them over to the women of the group. Women of the group will then sell them to people who want them as child labor or sex workers or some of them as children. They will sell them for a handsome amount ranging from 1 lakh to more.
The officials were ferocious about the rising cases of child trafficking. As part of counter-attacking child trafficking, they initiated this operation. The official has also given instruction for every parent out there to pay special attention to their kids. Also, people who sent out their kids for child labor to exercise some degree of control over the places where the kids are working.
While investigating, the gang members have revealed that the children were mainly supplied to people in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The officers are investigating very strictly. Also, the officials have informed that they are not going to leave anything out of this illegal activity. They are very committed to bringing every boy/girl who is missing back to their families. Still, there are some people who are on the loose.
A surprising fact about these child trafficking incidents is that they have increased exponentially since the Covid crisis during the lockdown. Though there were no transport facilities available still child trafficking has been done in a heavy load. Based on Bachan Bachao Andolan (BBA) reports, nearly 9000 children were rescued, who were being trafficked for labor between April 2020 and June 2021.
The majority of those children being trafficked are rescued from Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. There were many reasons behind the rise in child trafficking. Mainly child labor, dropping out of schools, poor financial conditions and parent’s lack of resources, and more. Every factor has a significant contribution in increasing these illegal activities.
