Latest news with #AHTU
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Hyd'bad city police ratchet up anti-human trafficking efforts
Hyderabad: In a major move to enhance its efforts in combating human trafficking and protecting children, the Hyderabad City Police launched the newly constituted Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Juvenile Bureau (JB) Unit, and a first-of-its-kind Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) in Telangana. The Hyderabad city police commissioner CV Anand inaugurated the unit at the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad. Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) was established in collaboration with Prajwala NGO, which was also launched. This reorganization follows GO 32, Home (Legal) Department, which initially placed the AHTU under the Women Safety Wing, Hyderabad. Subsequently, GO 57, formally constituted these specialized wings with dedicated sanctioned strengths. The AHTU has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of 8 personnel including – 1 Inspector, 2 Sub-Inspectors, 2 Head Constables, and 3 Police Constables. The unit is tasked for curbing the trafficking of women and children, including -identifying trafficking hotspots in both physical and online domains, gathering actionable intelligence to facilitate timely rescue operations, monitoring individuals involved in trafficking networks such as pimps, touts, brothel operators, and customers, conducting pre-rescue, rescue, and post-rescue operations, following up on pending trial cases to ensure justice, conducting raids to apprehend traffickers and facilitating the repatriation of Indian victims to their home states and the deportation of foreign nationals. As of 2025, the AHTU has filed 23 cases, 44 victims were rescued, and 71 accused arrested. Additionally, the Juvenile Bureau Team / Special Juvenile Police Unit has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of 7 personnel, comprising 1 Inspector, 2 SIs, 2 HCs, and 2 PCs. Based at the Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, the JB Team's primary responsibility is to protect children from atrocities such as child labor, human trafficking, and bonded labor. The JB/SJPU Team works in coordination with the Child Welfare Committee to repatriate missing or traced juveniles to their respective homes throughout India. This year, the JB unit successfully repatriated four children within the state and 7 children to other states. Additionally, under the Operation Smile and Operation Muskaan programmes, 896 children were rescued. The first-of-its-kind Victim Assistance Unit (VAU), center in Telangana plays a crucial role in supporting victims of immoral human trafficking. The VAU aims to help victims recall their exploitation in a trauma-informed manner, prepare them to depose evidence confidently and without fear during court proceedings, facilitate access to government schemes, legal aid, rehabilitation benefits, and psychosocial support and Aid victims in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Hyderabad police strengthens anti-human trafficking and child protection with new victim assistance centre
A new Victim Assistance Unit, Telangana's first dedicated centre aimed at providing support to survivors of human trafficking, was launched at the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, on Tuesday. The unit, developed in collaboration with NGO Prajwala, is designed to help victims recollect their trauma in a safe, informed environment and support them through the judicial process, including preparation for court depositions. It will also assist in linking survivors with legal aid, State-run rehabilitation schemes and psycho-social counselling for rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Staff from Prajwala will operate the centre under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Women Safety Wing. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand also inaugurated newly reorganised and dedicated facilities for its Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and Juvenile Bureau (JB) Unit. These reorganisations follow a Government Order issued by the Home Department on April 30, 2023, which initially brought the AHTU under the Women Safety Wing. A subsequent Government Order dated April 24, 2025, formally constituted these wings with a clearly sanctioned strength of personnel. The AHTU is staffed with eight officers, including an inspector, two sub-inspectors, two head constables, and three police constables. The unit has been tasked with identifying trafficking hotspots both online and offline, conducting rescue operations, gathering actionable intelligence, and closely monitoring the movements and networks of traffickers - including pimps, brothel operators, touts and their clientele. In the current year alone, the AHTU has registered 23 cases, rescued 44 victims, and arrested 71 individuals involved in trafficking-related crimes. The unit is also engaged in following up trial cases and facilitating the repatriation of Indian victims as well as the deportation of foreign nationals in coordination with relevant authorities. The Juvenile Bureau Team, also functioning as the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU), has been given a sanctioned strength of seven officers, and is based out of CCS Hyderabad. It focuses on protecting children from abuse, child labour, bonded labour and trafficking. The team works in close coordination with the Child Welfare Committee and has so far this year repatriated four children within Telangana and seven to other States. Under the 'Operation Smile' and 'Operation Muskan' drives, 896 children have been rescued to date.
Hans India
05-06-2025
- Hans India
Hyderabad: RPF rescues 238 children
Hyderabad: As part of its ongoing fight against human trafficking, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Secunderabad Division has rescued 238 children and apprehended 69 human traffickers so far this year. According to RPF officials, they have been actively conducting Action Against Human Trafficking (AAHT) in collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTU) and the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA). During intensive checks across general, sleeper, and AC coaches, child trafficking victims are identified and rescued, while human traffickers and their agents are traced and apprehended. Recently, most cases involved children trafficked from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Under Operation AAHT, the RPF is implementing a multi-pronged strategy that involves the deployment of dedicated AHTU personnel, monitoring through CCTV surveillance, and awareness campaigns at railway stations and on trains. In 2023, RPF Secunderabad Division rescued 305 children and arrested 137 traffickers under Operation AAHT. In 2024, these numbers increased to 310 children rescued and 174 traffickers arrested, reflecting a 1.64 per cent increase in child rescue and a 27.01 per cent rise in trafficker arrests compared to the previous year. In 2025, till date, 238 children have been rescued and 69 traffickers arrested. Officials suspect the number of children rescued could reach 400 by the end of the year. RPF officials urged rail passengers and citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities by dialling the national helpline number 139. 'Every alert call and watchful eye can help protect vulnerable children from falling prey to this heinous crime. We will continue to intensify tactical raids and coordinated operations to end human trafficking,' said a senior RPF official.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Missing 4-yr-old rescued from kidnapper in Ahmedabad, reunited with mom
Ahmedabad: A four-year-old girl who went missing from the Law Garden area four days ago was traced by the city crime branch on Tuesday. She was found in the Sabarmati area, in the custody of a woman who allegedly abducted her to sell her off or hand her over to the begging mafia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The girl, Vedika Bheel, daughter of Aarti Bheel, went missing on Saturday evening while playing in the Law Garden area. Her mother sells water bottles near the garden. Despite a search and a police complaint filed with Navrangpura police, her whereabouts remained unknown for several days. The accused was identified as Nikita Dantani, 35, a pavement dweller from Raikhad. She was allegedly roaming around the city on a lookout for vulnerable children when she spotted Vedika. The breakthrough in the case came when a 70-member team from the city crime branch intensified their efforts under an ongoing drive to trace missing children. The woman who abducted Vedika cut her hair to prevent identification. Officers said she planned to sell the girl to a childless couple or hand her over to the begging mafia. The girl was rescued safely and reunited with her parents. Her medical condition is reported to be stable. According to crime branch officials, the rescue is part of a broader operation. Over the last nine months, the city crime branch rescued more than 100 children and registered over 48 offences. Anti-begging drives and active surveillance by specialized units such as the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and Investigative Units for Crimes Against Women (IUCAW) contributed to the detection, sources said. "This case was a continuation of our ongoing operation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The team gained experience in identifying such patterns and knowing where to search," said an officer. The initial investigation faced hurdles due to non-functional CCTV cameras at Law Garden and along CG Road. The equipment, installed under the Smart City project, failed to capture any footage, leaving police with limited leads in the first 48 hours. Despite the challenges, the case saw a breakthrough due to systematic fieldwork and coordination by the crime branch.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Time of India
Faded photos to reunions: 2 Delhi cops track down 223 kids
NEW DELHI: For ASI Nirdesh Panwar and ASI Rajdeep, the gaze into their own children's eyes is the north star that guides their tireless pursuit of reuniting once missing kids with their families. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Over the last 11 months, this drive has led them to reunite 223 missing children with their families. They travelled to other cities and states to bridge gaps that sometimes spanned years. Their work involved over 70 police stations in Delhi and has taken them to corners of Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Often, all that they had was a faded photograph, a name, a case gone cold. But by following faint digital footprints, knocking on doors, and stitching together stories from scraps, they brought the children home. Their consistent record earned them out-of-turn promotions, a recognition of their perseverance. Formerly head constables, and now assistant sub-inspectors, Rajdeep (35) and Nirdesh Panwar (38), of the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) have each rescued over 100 children - Rajdeep has rescued 112 and Panwar 111. "These officers were promoted out of turn as a recognition for their consistent work and the large number of successful recoveries," DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam said. Their day begins at 6am with the scan of the national databases like CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems) and ZIPNET (Zonal Integrated Police Network) for fresh reports and long-pending cases. Once a case is shortlisted, the officers contact the investigating officer and the family. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Even that isn't easy always. "In many cases, phone numbers in FIRs are inactive, or the family has moved. Sometimes, there's not even a recent photo of the missing child," ASI Panwar said. "Language becomes a barrier too, especially when we travel to other states." Once contact is established, the officers conduct home visits to understand the child's last known movements, their environment, behaviour patterns, and any underlying causes of disappearance. From there, the tracking begins, involving Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis, deep dives into social media activity, and extensive reviews of CCTV footage. In the case of teenagers, a tagged location or a background in a photo on social media might offer the first clue. The two walk door to door with a photo, ask around, coordinate with local police, and check with shelter homes and NGOs. When digital leads dry up, the job becomes painstaking. "We've reviewed footage from over 200 cameras in some cases. Sometimes, you're looking for a moment, a movement that's barely visible. But that's all you need," ASI Rajdeep said. "The payoff is indescribable. That moment when a parent sees the child again, it makes every hour worth it." Each case brings its own challenges. "Some children have been missing for weeks, others for years. Some left home by choice. Others may have been trafficked or abducted. We can't assume anything. We have to approach every case with care. At times, the breakthrough is quick. Many take days and months to crack," he added. The case of a missing 14-year-old girl took them to Jammu and Kashmir after they managed to find out that the girl boarded a train at New Delhi Railway Station. "We immediately boarded a train to Jammu at 9.30pm and started our search after reaching there at 7am. We were lucky as the girl was luckily found sitting alone on a bench at one corner of the station. She was brought back the same day and reunited with her parents. Another challenging case was of a girl who was missing from the MS Park area in 2017. She was just 15 then. "For years, there were no leads. The family had long lost hope. This year, we traced her to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh after following some electronic leads. She is 22 now," ASI Rajdeep said.
