Islampur police in North Dinajpur rescued 16 minor girls from the Champabag red-light area of the town on Friday and arrested four alleged traffickers.
A police source said they received specific intelligence on Friday that some girls had been trafficked from Bihar to the red-light area of the town.
The police launched a raid and deployed drones to monitor the area.
The suspects noticed the drones and attempted to flee. However, plainclothes officers deployed around the area and apprehended four people.
“It is a major achievement for us. Preliminary investigation suggests that there are others involved in this trafficking network. All the rescued minors are from Bihar. The investigation is underway and efforts are on to identify and arrest the remaining members of the racket,” said Rakesh Singh, SP, Islampur police district.
The girls are being provided with counselling, legal assistance and other necessary support, a police source said.
Authorities have intensified surveillance in interstate border areas. On Saturday, the quartet were produced in court in Islampur. The court remanded them to five days of police custody.
