In a joint effort, officials from Kerala and Tamil Nadu safely rescued six children, engaged in a murukku making unit in Pathanamthitta, Kerala and handed them over to officials here on Tuesday.

Following a complaint from the parents, who lived in Periakulam, district childline official Suresh Kumar and team, took up the issue with their counterparts in Kerala. Preliminary inquiries revealed that a broker from Usilampatti in Madurai district had approached the parents and offered them money. Forced by poverty and unaware of the consequences, the parents had sent their wards with the broker. After handing them over to an agent in Pathanamthitta, the broker had disappeared.

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the children to leave the place, and one of them had informed their parents here at home about the dangerous living conditions. After locating the illegal murukku making unit, a team swooped in and rescued the children safely on Monday.

At Kumili-Lower Camp, the children were handed over to the officials from Tamil Nadu by the team from Kerala, where they were screened for COVID-19. As and when the swab results are known, they would be handed over to their parents, Deputy Tahsildar, Kannan, said and added that until then they would be in safe hands at the Child Welfare premises in Theni.

A senior official said that a hunt was on to nab the broker from Usilampatti in Madurai district.