The integrated anti-human trafficking unit workshop held at crime branch headquarters in Cuttack on Saturday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 2: Human trafficking, particularly labour migration, still remains a major challenge for police prompting it to set up a specialised Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all the districts.

Inspector-general of police (crime branch) Y.B. Khurania said that at present, the units, including one at crime branch headquarters here in the city, had been made functional in nearly 12 districts in the past three years.

The units were set up in the state in three phases from 2010 to 2012.

Khurania said a co-ordinate effort was required as human trafficking has emerged as a global concern while India had been a source, transit and destination for human traffickers.

According to the statistics of the national crime bureau, a total of 106 cases of human trafficking, including 79 cases related to minor girls and 27 immoral trafficking, were registered in the state in 2013.

Director-general of police Sanjiv Marik said humans had become commodities of profit while human traffic had now emerged as a trans-national problem while adequate measures were being taken to deal with such incidents in the state.

A crime branch official said all police stations in the state had been asked to treat all cases of missing children as cases of kidnapping and trafficking.

Official sources said that of 2,875 children, who had gone missing, 359 were traced in 2011, while 1,363 children of 4,444 missing were traced in 2012. Similarly, of 5,549 missing children, 2,381 were traced in 2013.

Hence, the percentage of missing children being rescued has improved from 18.6 per cent in 2011 to 75.35 per cent in 2013.

“We have already submitted a proposal for establishment of the units in all the districts for effectively combating the menace of human trafficking to the state government. We hope that all the proposed units will be made functional shortly,” Khurania said.

Sources said the units were established keeping in view the findings of a study by the National Human Rights Commission in 2004 that highlighted lack of awareness in police department about human trafficking. Subsequently, the ministry of home affairs decided to set up dedicated units to deal with various cases of human trafficking, including labour migration, engagement of women in sex trade and other forms.

Khurania said various stakeholders, including officials of the labour department, inspector generals and deputy inspector generals of 12 districts and various NGOs were attending the training-cum-workshop. All the government and private agencies will be educated about various government notifications and circulars related to human trafficking.