Odisha Crime Branch issues advisory to curb trafficking of girls

Cuttack: Amid reports of girls being trafficked on the pretext of lucrative job offers, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police today issued an advisory to district Superintendents of Police (SPs) to take steps to prevent such crimes.

The move was taken by the State Crime Branch after the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked police departments of all states to take measures to arrest the menace.

It has been noticed that Odisha is also a source state of human trafficking. There have been reports of human trafficking, especially young girls from Odisha to various cities, the advisory stated.

The CB has asked every police station in the State to keep a close watch on touts of placement agencies, who lure the young girls in the name of marriage or job in other parts of the country. A data base should be maintained at each police station against the traffickers who have been in such type of cases.

An effective coordination among various departments and stakeholders such as Women and Child Development, Labour Department, Tourism, Railways and NGOs would be required to prevent such crimes. “There is a need for exchange of information between these stakeholders to ensure that such activities are curbed,” it read.

Besides, the CB said public awareness campaigns may be conducted to make the people aware of such activities including the traps laid by the agencies to target the women and girls with false promise of providing job opportunities.

Private placement agencies and employers may be identified and their activities be kept under close vigil, so that they do not indulge in recruitment and placement of women and girls in hazardous and offensive employment.

Close watch should be kept in all transit points, such as railway stations, bus stands, public places, hotels, and guest houses in order to identify the brokers and rescue the victims for their clutch.

NGOs working in the area of anti-human trafficking should be closely associated and their sharing of information and intelligence with the police may be encouraged.

Trafficking prone areas should be identified and mechanism be put in place to monitor the activities of placement agencies.

If complaints are received against private labour recruiters and placement agencies operating without any license or authority immediate legal action may be initiated.

While making passport verification the concerned officer shall have to ascertain the purpose of visit abroad and if there is any involvement of any placement agencies to that effect.

State Director General of Police RP Sharma has directed the police personnel to follow the instructions and sensitize the officers concerned in order to avoid any unlawful confinement and victimization of any women or girl by the recruiters or placement agencies.