SRINAGAR (KIMS) — Two persons were arrested and four minor females were rescued after a human trafficking racket was busted in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Friday.
“Acting on a tip-off from a reliable source, Baramulla Police Station busted a human trafficking module operating in Ushkura, Baramulla. The investigation revealed that Shakeel Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Ushkura, was involved in the trafficking and exploitation of minor girls from outside the Union Territory. An FIR (No. 173/2024) under relevant sections of the law was registered at Police Station Baramulla. A police team then raided Bhat’s residence, recovering three minor victims from the Rohingya community in Burma. The search was conducted in the presence of a magistrate and female police officials,” police said in a statement.
“During interrogation, Shakeel Ahmad Bhat confessed to selling one girl to Mehraj Ahmad Tantray, a resident of Kanlibagh. A subsequent raid at Tantray’s house led to the recovery of another minor victim from the Rohingya community and Tantray’s arrest. Both Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Mehraj Ahmad Tantray have been arrested, and further investigations are underway to apprehend other suspects involved in this human trafficking racket,” the statement said.
This operation demonstrates the Baramulla Police’s commitment to combating human trafficking and ensuring the safety and dignity of vulnerable individuals, the statement added. — (KIMS)