Arunachal child trafficking case: 51 people rescued, fifth facilitator held

Itanagar, Police in Arunachal Pradesh's Namsai have traced and rescued 51 people, including 47 children, in connection with a child trafficking racket, officials said on Sunday.

The case, registered at Namsai Police Station, involves allegations of illegal procurement, trafficking, and placement of children belonging to vulnerable families.

According to Namsai Superintendent of Police Sange Thinley, sustained investigation, field verification, and coordinated multi-district and inter-state operations led to a significant jump in rescued children from 19 during the initial phase to 38, and now to 51, including four adults.

Police also arrested an alleged facilitator identified as Ema Loyi, a resident of Kaba village in Namsai, bringing the total number of arrests in the child trafficking case to five.

The probe is being spearheaded by Namsai deputy SP Kengo Dirchi as the investigating officer, in close coordination with the District Child Protection Unit , Namsai Child Welfare Committee , Child Helpline, and other child protection agencies.

"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 ," the SP said.

The SP said police are currently scrutinising the financial transactions and money trail involved in the case to establish the nature, purpose, and extent of monetary dealings, as well as to fix individual culpability.

The investigation is focused on unravelling the entire network, from the origin at the parent/guardian level to intermediaries and ultimate recipients.

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 link the complete chain of events, Thinley added.

The investigation into the child trafficking case registered at Namsai Police Station on August 17, 2026, began following a formal complaint by the District Child Welfare Committee regarding the illegal procurement and placement of minors from economically vulnerable families.

During the initial crackdown, police rescued 19 children, most below eight years of age, from multiple locations across Arunachal Pradesh, including Mechuka , Aalo , Pasighat , Naharlagun, Itanagar , and Longding . The first three arrests made in connection with the network were female facilitators

As multi-district and inter-state tracing operations expanded into Assam and other areas, the total count of traced or rescued persons rose to 38, comprising 34 children and four adults. During the phase, police arrested a fourth main facilitator, for her alleged role in transporting and illegally placing victims.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the network targeted vulnerable families with promises of better education and upbringing, while financial transactions between ₹10,000 and ₹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. PRI CORR RG

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