Over 500 Nepalese children sold into cheap labour and sex slavery in India after country’s devastating earthquake

Over 500 Nepalese children sold into cheap labour and sex slavery in India after country’s devastating earthquake

The human traffickers have returned to the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh, writes PIYUSH SRIVASTAVA for DailyMail.

These criminals have once again become active after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal, and are trafficking unsuspecting Nepalese minors by promising them jobs in India.

In reality, these Nepalese minors are sold into cheap labour or prostitution in the big cities of India.

According to sources in the Uttar Pradesh intelligence department, in the last one-and-a-half months, over 500 boys and girls from Nepal have been brought to India by 17 human traffickers on this side of Indo-Nepal border, and were sent to Delhi and Mumbai.

“Maximum trafficking has been done from Bahraich where there is 110km of open border between Uttar Pradesh and Nepal,” a state intelligence officer told Mail Today.

“These human traffickers were almost dormant for the last three years because of the vigilant central and state intelligence agencies. But the traffickers returned to business after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal”.

Luring parents

The officer added: “These 17 human traffickers, whose names are already with us, lure even the parents of young girls and boys of Nepal and promise their children good jobs in India.

“They also tell the Nepalese people that the Indian Government has several schemes for the tremor-hit people.

“However, they sell these children to factory and dhaba owners, or push them into the flesh trade after bringing them to India,” the officer added.

The police have so far failed to nab these human traffickers, even though all of them hail from Bahraich and surrounding districts.

Six traffickers are from the Ramgaon area in Bahraich, and one each from Nanpara, Murtiha, Dargah, Khairighat and Chhotibazar. Four are from Gonda.

Two traffickers from UP have shifted their base to Rupaiadih in Nepal.

Bahraich Superintendent of Police Neha Pandey said: “We are conducting a special drive with the help of Sashastra Seema Bal in the border areas to prevent human trafficking.

“The police stations across the border have also been alerted. Several other organisations are also keeping a close vigil on the activities along the porous border.”

Commissioner of Devipatan Division, Ravi Prakash Arora, said: “As per the instruction from the Government, we are holding meetings with the officers to curb this menace.

“Further guidelines would be issued soon to ensure that such things are prevented on our side of the border.”

The police and social organisations have rescued 40 Nepalese children from the border areas in the two months.

Principal Secretary (Home) Debashish Panda has issued several advisories since then and held meetings with the police officers.

The police department has started to install CCTV cameras along the border areas in the state.

CCTV vigil

“There are reports of human trafficking along the border. We are in the process of installing CCTV cameras there,” said Inspector-General of Police (Law and Order) A Satish Ganesh.

He said 35 anti-human trafficking units have been activated in the state.

Coordinator of Child Line India Foundation Abhishek Pathak told Mail Today that the organisation had received reports about increased human trafficking along the border.

“We believe that the traffickers have changed their routes and are using those areas to sneak into India where vigilance is not intense.

“We are trying to create a safety net by working in close coordination with the SSB, police, local taxi drivers and rickshaw pullers, and other social groups working in those areas”, – Pathak added.

Photo: Reuters