VARANASI: A joint team of Varanasi and Delhi police on Monday arrested four members of a human trafficking gang from Mahrauli in Delhi and freed 19 women, including 16 Nepalese citizens, from their clutches. It is suspected that these women were sent to Delhi via Varanasi.
Police said the arrests were made following clues provided by a human trafficker held in Varanasi on June 23 and conform the reports that Varanasi was being used as a transit point by human traffickers.
"After legal formalities in Delhi, the arrested persons are being brought to Varanasi. A total of 19 women, including 16 Nepalese citizens, have been freed from the clutches of human traffickers by a joint team of police from Varanasi and Delhi," said SSP Anand Kulkarni.
He added that operations against human trafficking gangs will continue although it appears that they have shifted base from Varanasi to places like Delhi, Hyderabad and Jaipur after tightening of scrutiny at LBS International Airport in the city. "Instead of air, these gangs are now using road and rail routes to take trafficked women to big cities," he said.
SP (Crime) Gyanendra Prasad said, "Four traffickers, including Sundari and Shahbin of Nepal, Rajan Yadav and Pavan Khurana have been arrested. They were produced before a Delhi court by Varanasi cops for seeking transit remand and bring them here for further investigations."
Besides police action,
Air India officials too have stepped up scrutiny of papers of passengers, specially
Nepalese women, who board flights for Sharjah from city's LBS International Airport.
Representative image
