A 15-year-old girl from Nepal escaped an alleged cross-border human trafficking attempt after personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) intercepted her at the India-Nepal border in Panitanki, around 35km from here, on Wednesday evening.
A 20-year-old man from North Dinajpur, who had allegedly lured her to India, has been arrested.
The rescue took place during routine surveillance by the border intelligence team of SSB, which stopped the duo while they were entering India through the Panitanki border.
Sources said the accused, a resident of Bhatsia village under Hemtabad block in North Dinajpur district, had come in contact with the girl only two days earlier while working at a garage near her residence in Nepal.
“He is married and has a child but convinced the teenager to accompany him to India by making false promises. The girl was living with family friends in Nepal since she was around five years old after a series of family tragedies,” said a source.
“Her mother died when she was very young. Her father remarried and later migrated to Malaysia for work, while her stepmother left for Kuwait, leaving the child in the care of this family,” the source added.
After the rescue, SSB handed the girl to Kharibari police. The police registered a case, produced the minor before the child welfare committee and initiated counselling, rehabilitation and other protection measures.
They also arrested the accused and started legal proceedings under charges related to human trafficking, kidnapping and offences involving a minor, said Rishi Kant, a social activist associated with the anti-trafficking campaign.
“The interception highlighted the importance of coordinated vigilance along the international border. These interventions done by the SSB at the border are extremely important to break the organised crime network of human traffickers. It is important for all stakeholders in the border region to come together to support the border agencies and strengthen interventions in cross-border human trafficking cases,” Kant said.
The police are examining whether the accused acted alone or had links with a larger trafficking network.