HYDERABAD: The city police today busted an inter-state human trafficking racket and rescued as many as 14 minor boys, who were brought here from different parts of the country.
"Acting on a tip-off, that children from different states were being brought by the traffickers in Janmabhoomi Express from Visakhapatnam, a police team carried out searches in the train after it reached Secunderabad railway station here at 12.45 AM," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) P Y Giri said.
"We found 72 youngsters in the bogie. After examination, it was revealed that, of these only 14 boys (aged between 14-18 years) from Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam were minors while the rest were aged 20 and above, the police officer told PTI.
"The boys were brought from five states on the promise of jobs in factories and brick kilns in Hyderabad," Giri said.
"The children from Bihar were promised Rs 5,000 monthly salary while others were to be handed over to local gangs who in turn were to hand over them to employers and were to be paid depending on their works," he added. "We are recording statements of those rescued. Based on preliminary information, we suspect role of at least 5-6 persons in this racket," the officer said.
A case under sections 374 (Unlawful compulsory labour) and 370 (Buying or disposing of any person as a slave) of IPC and section 26 (Exploitation of juvenile or child employee) of Juvenile Justice Act has been registered by the Gopalapuram Police Station.
The boys have been sent to a rescue home and investigations are underway, police said.