BERHAMPUR: Kandhamal police traced 138 missing women and girls during a five-day special drive conducted under Operation Anweshan-III, a statewide initiative to locate missing women and children and prevent human trafficking.
The operation was carried out from July 18 to 22 under the supervision of Kandhamal SP Ramendra Prasad. According to police, 129 missing women and nine missing girls were traced during the operation. The drive covered 129 Missing Person Register (MMR) cases and nine kidnapping FIRs.
Dedicated teams comprising personnel from the Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Crime Against Women and Children Wing, women police officers and local police were deployed to various locations, including Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi and Nayagarh.
Among individual police stations, Phulbani Town police station traced 23 women and one girl, while Khajuripada police station traced 24 women and two girls. Other police stations also contributed to the overall success of the operation.
Police said all rescued children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and provided counselling before being reunited with their families or accommodated in recognised shelter homes.