Ministry of Home Affairs
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Posted On:
21 MAR 2023 6:02PM by PIB Delhi
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles crime statistics reported to it by the States and Union Territories (UTs) and publishes the same in its annual publication ‘Crime in India’. The latest published report is of the year 2021. Details of cases reported and persons arrested under Human Trafficking in the North Eastern States including the State of Assam during the year 2021 are given below:
S. No.
|
State
|
Cases reported
|
Persons arrested
|
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
3
|
5
|
|
Assam
|
203
|
349
|
|
Manipur
|
1
|
7
|
|
Meghalaya
|
1
|
4
|
|
Mizoram
|
0
|
0
|
|
Nagaland
|
0
|
0
|
|
Sikkim
|
0
|
0
|
|
Tripura
|
1
|
1
|
Specific information on percentage of Indian/foreign nationals is not maintained separately.
‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are “State-List” subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Therefore, it is the primary responsibility of respective State Governments and UT Administrations to take appropriate steps for preventing and countering the crime of human trafficking.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been supplementing the efforts of the States/UTs in this regard by undertaking various initiatives. MHA has provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 98.86 crores under “Nirbhaya Fund” to all States and Union Territories (UTs), including the North-Eastern States and Assam, during the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 for strengthening the existing Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and for establishing new AHTUs covering all districts of the States/UTs. MHA provides financial assistance to States/UTs for holding ‘Judicial Colloquiums’ and ‘State level conferences’ on periodic basis for sensitizing judicial and police officials and to make available to them updated information on latest provisions of law relating to human trafficking. MHA has also been issuing advisories and guidelines to the States/UTs on preventing and combating the crime of human trafficking on a regular basis. These advisories are available on MHA’s website at: https://www.mha.gov.in/. The National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 was amended in the year 2019 to authorise the National Investigation Agency to investigate cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of Indian Penal Code. For addressing cross-border/transnational issues of human trafficking, bilateral Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with Bangladesh, UAE, Cambodia and Myanmar; and multilateral instruments on human trafficking have also been signed by India.
MHA has provided Grant-in-aid to Border Security Force (BSF) for establishing Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in international border area. BSF has established 15 AHTUs on Indo-Bangladesh border. BSF has taken several steps for strengthening the safety of border area on the Indo-Bangladesh International Border.
BSF has undertaken various steps for curbing and controlling infiltration, human trafficking and smuggling of any contrabands for which the following specific measures have been employed:-
- Detailed vulnerability mapping has been carried out along the Indo-Bangladesh border to strengthen surveillance.
- Advanced Surveillance equipments are used to strengthen the surveillance mechanism.
- Erection of Border Fence on the International Border.
- Installation of Border Flood Lights to light up the area during hours of darkness.
- Use of water crafts/boats and floating Border Outposts for domination of riverine area of International Border.
- Strengthening of intelligence network and coordination with sister agencies.
- Simultaneous co-ordinated patrolling is conducted jointly between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh on Indo-Bangladesh Border.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
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RK/AY/RR/3322
(Release ID: 1909199)
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