Hyderabad: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the Secunderabad Division is actively working to combat human trafficking. So far this year, they have saved 238 children and caught 69 human traffickers.
RPF officials are partnering with Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTU) and the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) for their Action Against Human Trafficking (AAHT) initiative. They conduct thorough inspections in various train coaches, identifying and rescuing trafficked children while tracking down and arresting traffickers. Recent cases often involved children from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Operation AAHT uses several strategies, including deploying special AHTU teams, using CCTV surveillance, and running awareness campaigns at railway stations and on trains.
In 2023, the RPF Secunderabad Division rescued 305 children and arrested 137 traffickers. These numbers rose in 2024, with 310 children saved and 174 traffickers arrested, marking a 1.64% increase in rescues and a 27.01% increase in arrests. This year, 238 children have been rescued, and 69 traffickers have been caught so far. Officials estimate that the number of rescued children might reach 400 by the year’s end.
The RPF encourages passengers and citizens to stay alert and report any suspicious behavior by calling the national helpline at 139.
A senior RPF official stated, “Being vigilant can help protect children from this terrible crime. We will continue to intensify our operations to stop human trafficking.”
