Kolkata, July 4 (IANS) In a first-of-its-kind operation in the Islampur Police District, West Bengal Police used drones to bust an alleged human trafficking attempt, rescuing 17 minor girls and arresting four suspected traffickers in North Dinajpur district, officials said on Saturday.

At the same time, the police also arrested four human traffickers.

This is the first time the Islampur Police achieved a unique success by conducting surveillance using drones against human trafficking rings.

According to the police, on Friday night, a tip-off was received that several minor girls from Bihar, Assam and Gujarat were being trafficked and hidden in a restricted area in the Champabagh area in Islampur.

After receiving the information, the Islampur police district launched a special operation. For the first time, drones were used to monitor the entire area in the operation.

Police claimed that some of the accused tried to escape after spotting the drone. However, police personnel who were already secretly deployed in the area detained four of them. They were later arrested. As many as 17 minor girls were rescued in the operation.

Islampur Police District Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Singh, told media persons, “This is a big success for the police. Initial investigation is believed to have linked the case to a large human trafficking ring. The rescued girls are from Bihar, Assam and Gujarat. The arrested will be taken to the Islampur Sub-District Court on Saturday and questioned in police custody to find the head of the main trafficking ring. Counselling and necessary legal assistance have been arranged for the rescued minors.”

The police have started investigating the incident. A search is underway to find the remaining members involved in the human trafficking ring. Police also said that surveillance in the international border areas with Bangladesh has been intensified to prevent such crimes in the future.

The police are also questioning the rescued girls to know more about the traffickers and their ring.

–IANS

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