Police in Arunachal Pradesh's Namsai district have traced or rescued 51 people, including 47 children, in connection with an alleged child trafficking network, officials said on Sunday. The number marks a significant jump from the 19 children rescued when the case was first cracked in August.
The case, registered at Namsai Police Station on August 17, 2026, followed a formal complaint by the District Child Welfare Committee over the alleged illegal procurement, trafficking and placement of children belonging to economically vulnerable families.
According to Namsai Superintendent of Police Sange Thinley, sustained investigation, field verification and coordinated multi-district and inter-state operations expanded the rescue count from 19 children in the initial phase to 38, and now to 51, including four adults.
Fifth Arrest in the Case
Police also arrested an alleged facilitator identified as Ema Loyi, a resident of Kaba village in Namsai, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five. The first three arrests made in the network were female facilitators, and a fourth main facilitator was arrested earlier for her alleged role in transporting and illegally placing victims.
The probe is being spearheaded by Namsai deputy SP Kengo Dirchi as the investigating officer, in close coordination with the District Child Protection Unit, the Namsai Child Welfare Committee, the Child Helpline and other child protection agencies.
The SP said statements of the traced and rescued children connected with the accused have been recorded before the Magistrate under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Money Trail Under Scrutiny
Police said they are scrutinising financial transactions and the money trail to establish the nature, purpose and extent of monetary dealings, and to fix individual culpability. The investigation is focused on unravelling the entire network, from the origin at the parent or guardian level to intermediaries and ultimate recipients.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the network allegedly targeted vulnerable families with promises of better education and upbringing for their children. Financial transactions ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 per child were detected among intermediaries and parents. Many of the rescued children had been placed as domestic help or engaged in hotel work under these false promises.
During the initial crackdown, police rescued 19 children, most of them below eight years of age, from multiple locations across Arunachal Pradesh, including Mechuka, Aalo, Pasighat, Naharlagun, Itanagar and Longding. Multi-district and inter-state tracing operations later extended into Assam and other areas.
To safeguard the privacy, dignity and rights of the minor children, police have withheld all identities and personal particulars. Further operations are underway to trace any remaining victims and complete the chain of events, Thinley added.
Sources: https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...d-fifth-facilitator-held-101790500338736.html
The case, registered at Namsai Police Station on August 17, 2026, followed a formal complaint by the District Child Welfare Committee over the alleged illegal procurement, trafficking and placement of children belonging to economically vulnerable families.
According to Namsai Superintendent of Police Sange Thinley, sustained investigation, field verification and coordinated multi-district and inter-state operations expanded the rescue count from 19 children in the initial phase to 38, and now to 51, including four adults.
Fifth Arrest in the Case
Police also arrested an alleged facilitator identified as Ema Loyi, a resident of Kaba village in Namsai, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five. The first three arrests made in the network were female facilitators, and a fourth main facilitator was arrested earlier for her alleged role in transporting and illegally placing victims.
The probe is being spearheaded by Namsai deputy SP Kengo Dirchi as the investigating officer, in close coordination with the District Child Protection Unit, the Namsai Child Welfare Committee, the Child Helpline and other child protection agencies.
The SP said statements of the traced and rescued children connected with the accused have been recorded before the Magistrate under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Money Trail Under Scrutiny
Police said they are scrutinising financial transactions and the money trail to establish the nature, purpose and extent of monetary dealings, and to fix individual culpability. The investigation is focused on unravelling the entire network, from the origin at the parent or guardian level to intermediaries and ultimate recipients.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the network allegedly targeted vulnerable families with promises of better education and upbringing for their children. Financial transactions ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 per child were detected among intermediaries and parents. Many of the rescued children had been placed as domestic help or engaged in hotel work under these false promises.
During the initial crackdown, police rescued 19 children, most of them below eight years of age, from multiple locations across Arunachal Pradesh, including Mechuka, Aalo, Pasighat, Naharlagun, Itanagar and Longding. Multi-district and inter-state tracing operations later extended into Assam and other areas.
To safeguard the privacy, dignity and rights of the minor children, police have withheld all identities and personal particulars. Further operations are underway to trace any remaining victims and complete the chain of events, Thinley added.
Sources: https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...d-fifth-facilitator-held-101790500338736.html
