Additional director-general, central paramilitary force, PN Nair addresses the seminar on human trafficking in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, July 9: Proper training should be provided to law enforcers to deal with human trafficking.

Stressing this, minister for social welfare department Parveen Amanullah said the problem of human trafficking could be tackled only through proper investigation and prosecution of offenders. She was the chief guest on Day 1 of a three-day workshop organised by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to train policemen on human trafficking at the Advance Training Institute today.

She asked policemen deputed in the districts identified as vulnerable to human trafficking to take up such cases on a priority basis and not a routine crime. “Proper investigation is the only panacea to check the menace, which has, of late, acquired global dimension,” she added.

Expressing concern over the rise in incidents of human trafficking in general and sexual exploitation of minors in particular in recent times, the minister said the rules framed for containing the crime should be followed strictly as human lives were involved in the illegal trade.

She said the welfare department would reward the best performing policeman. “We have decided to give Rs 10,000, a medal and a certificate to the best performer in checking the offence,” she said.

Additional director-general of the central paramilitary force and an internationally-acclaimed expert on human trafficking P.M. Nair said human trafficking has become the second major organised crime in the world.

“Now, human trafficking stands second after drug abuse so far as organised crime is concerned. Earlier, it was third after drug abuse and arms deal the world over,” he said, adding that the central government has provided vehicles, cellphones and other facilities to seven districts of Bihar to cope with the problem. Stressing the need to sensitise the policemen at the grassroots level (thana level), Nair said the policemen posted on the field should change their attitude towards the victims. “In most of the cases, the victims are sent to jail instead of being rehabilitated. This is done owing to lack of adequately trained policemen posted at police stations,” he added.

Additional director-general of police (headquarters) Rajvardhan Sharma said only 40-50 per cent children reported missing were recovered by police. “The rest of the children fell victim to human trafficking. There is need to keep tabs on the children who never return to their homes,” he said.