Jaipur, July 18 (IANS) The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Rajasthan Police’s two-day state-level conference began on Friday at the Rajasthan Police Academy, Jaipur.

The conference, focusing on critical issues such as bonded labour, sex trafficking, and cross-border trafficking, is being spearheaded by the Civil Rights and Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) Branch of the Rajasthan Police Headquarters in alignment with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Officials said that the primary objective of the event is to enable comprehensive discussions on the evolving dimensions of human trafficking. It aims to enhance mechanisms for victim identification and rescue, ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration, and implement stringent legal action against traffickers.

“The conference also promotes inter-departmental and inter-state convergence to build a united front against trafficking. By bringing together frontline enforcement officers and experts, the Rajasthan Police intend to foster greater coordination, capacity building, and knowledge exchange across agencies involved in anti-human trafficking efforts,” an official added.

Malini Agarwal, an IPS officer, said: “Human trafficking is a grave, organised, and cognisable crime that strips individuals of their fundamental rights. Victims are often trapped due to poverty—the root cause. The ILO’s 2024 report highlighted that annual profits from human trafficking surged to $236 billion, a 37 per cent rise since 2014. This conference is a crucial step in strengthening Rajasthan’s response and reaffirming our commitment to protecting vulnerable communities.”

Sanjay Agarwal, IPS, noted, “Trafficking often originates in rural areas, not just cities. When we see children begging or working on the streets, we must question their background. Today’s traffickers use technology to exploit victims—our enforcement must also adapt and utilise digital tools to tackle this evolving threat.”

Dr. P.M. Nair, IPS (Retd.), remarked: “We must not remain silent in the face of trafficking. Collaborative efforts are needed across source, transit, and destination regions. Trafficking is an organised crime and a cluster of crimes. Like an amoeba, it regenerates unless the entire nexus is dismantled.”

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2022, a total of 2,250 cases were reported nationwide, involving 2,878 children and 3,158 adults.

A total of 6,693 victims were rescued and 5,864 individuals arrested. In Rajasthan, 117 cases were registered, and 461 victims rescued — 432 of them being victims of forced labour. Rajasthan’s geographical proximity to economically stronger states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh makes it a crucial source and transit region for traffickers. Vulnerable communities, especially from SC/ST and tribal backgrounds, are lured with false promises of employment and pushed into exploitative labour. In many cases, entire families are trafficked into bonded labour.

Since the 1980s, Rajasthan has seen a rise in industries such as brick kilns, especially after environmental policies forced their relocation from cities like Agra. These unorganised sectors remain hotbeds for bonded labour.

As per the Planning Commission, 83 per cent of rehabilitated bonded labourers belong to SC/ST communities. On Friday, a public-awareness poster on human trafficking to be displayed in police stations and government offices was unveiled.

The inaugural session was marked with the presence of Malini Agarwal, IPS, Director General of Police, Civil Rights & AHT Branch, Deepak Bhargav, IPS, Deputy Inspector General, Intelligence Training Academy, Sanjay Agarwal, IPS, Director General, Intelligence, Dr. P.M. Nair, IPS (Retd.), Former Director, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), MHA, Manju Vijay, Joint Secretary, Home Department and Ajoy Varghese, Senior Vice President, International Justice Mission (IJM), technical partner for the conference.

On Saturday, Vimukt, a handbook on best practices to combat human trafficking, will be released. It will serve as a practical reference guide for enforcement and allied agencies.

The conference is expected to produce actionable outcomes, including enhanced strategies, policy recommendations, and inter-agency collaboration models, aimed at preventing trafficking and securing justice for survivors, added officials.

–IANS

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