New Delhi : Operation AAHT, a month long special drive against Human Trafficking through rail, the Railway Protection Force ( RPF) rescued 151 minor boys, 32 minor girls (total 183 minors) and 3 women from the clutches of human traffickers and 47 Human Traffickers were arrested in July,2022.
RPF sources informed that such drives would continue in future too.
According to the source, RPF has a pan India reach under a unitary structure of command and control. Over the years, RPF has developed an efficient response mechanism for redressal of security related grievances of passengers. During last 5 years (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021), RPF has rescued 2178 persons from the clutches of Traffickers besides rescue of more than 65000 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 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. Recently RPF has signed a MoU with NGO i.e. 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.
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 organized crime and the most abominable violation of human rights. Indian Railways, being major transport network of the country, is being used by human traffickers for transportation of victims from source areas to destination areas.
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