In a major breakthrough, the Meghalaya Police managed to bust a gang of traffickers and arrested two of the gang members on Saturday.
Acting on a tip off from NGOs of a possible trafficking gang, North Garo Hills (NGH) Police immediately swung into action and attested these two people on Saturady evening.
The arrest of the duo was made after one Khagrak Marak alias Rajen of Goalpara in Assam was lured to Mendipathar with the promise of supplying a 12-year-old girl. His name was provided to the NGOs by another trafficker, Icilina B Sangma of Insambal in East Garo Hills after she was caught by the NGOs.
“The woman had yesterday gone to Kharkutta and entered a house on the pretext of charging her phone. A 12 year old child was staying at a rented accommodation in the same house and she apparently took a liking for her. She told the child that she would take her to a better location as the house they were staying in was not fit for them,” said activist Jaynie N Sangma.
Icilina went to the girl’s house once again and took the girl with her on Saturday morning at about 4 am.
“When the house owner woke up in the morning and found the girl missing, she suspected something was wrong and immediately called up the trafficker asking if the 12 year old was with her. She initially refused but when the woman threatened to call the police, she admitted to the fact and also said she was in Dudhnoi. We were alerted immediately after,” said Jaynie.
The trafficker, when caught by the NGOs and the people, confessed that she had been involved in the trafficking of two more girls, one of who had died in an accident.
“She also gave the name of Rajen, who had taken the two girls previously,” she added.
Later, the woman was brought to Mendipathar where the police asked her to call Rajen to Mendipathar to take the girl.
Rajen came to the town of Mendipathar where a trap was laid for him by the police. He was immediately arrested after being identified.
NGH Superintendent of police, Dalton P Marak said, “We have arrested them both. Of the two girls they trafficked earlier, one was sent to Mumbai and another to New Delhi. The girl from New Delhi has died according to them and we are verifying the facts. The two are currently being interrogated at Mendipathar where a case has been lodged against them. We are trying to find out if more of them are involved.”