Sundargarh: In a significant breakthrough, Kutra police in Sundargarh district busted a human trafficking racket involved in the illegal transportation of women from the area to Rajasthan, a police official said today.

The operation led to the rescue of two minor girls in Rajasthan and arrest of six individuals, including two from Rajasthan.

According to reports, the minors, hailing from poor families in Kutra area, were deceived with promises of jobs and subsequently sold in Rajasthan. One of the victims had gone missing in October, last year.

The case took a crucial turn when one of the missing girls managed to contact her family a few days ago, pleading for rescue. Acting on the information, the family promptly lodged a complaint with the police.

A special team led by Rajgangpur SDPO Abhisek Panigrahi was formed to investigate the case. Through meticulous tracking of the phone call, the team was able to locate and rescue the minor in Rajasthan. Another minor girl was also found and rescued during the operation.

The police arrested two individuals in Rajasthan, who were directly linked to the trafficking racket. Further investigations led to the apprehension of four suspects from Rourkela.

SDPO Panigrahi said, "Our investigation into the missing girl's case revealed a human trafficking network. We successfully rescued two minor girls from Rajasthan and arrested six agents involved in the racket, including two from Rajasthan and four from Odisha."

He further said that the trafficked girls were sold for Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh and subjected to severe physical and mental abuse by the traffickers.

Further probe into the matter was underway.