Nemcha applauds rescuers of trafficked victims
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 06 2019:
Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen has lauded the commendable efforts of the officials of the Social Welfare Department and officials of Ujjawala Centres who worked tirelessly for the rescue and shelter of the victims of human trafficking.
A press release issued by the Director of Social Welfare mentioned that on January 30, at 4.18 pm, Women Helpline under the Department, received a phone call from an officials of Customs posted at Moreh saying that he had detained 2 Nepali locals who appear to be suspected traffickers along with 16 Nepalese Nationals with passports suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
It was also informed that these two have already sent around 180 persons from Nepal to Myanmar in about a month who never returned.
After consulting higher officials of the Department, the call responder immediately contacted and alerted Moreh police.
The Department also alerted all the Ujjawala Centre.
Then on February 1, based on information given to officials of Ujjawala Centres by City police that suspected victims of trafficking were residing in and around Keishampat area, Binobala Nongmeikapam, Dy Director (WP), Social Welfare Dept, along with G Ravi Sharma, Manager Women Helpline and representatives of Ujjawala Centres, teamed up immediately with OC, Imphal PS and rescued 4 suspected victims of trafficking from Santosh Hotel, Paona bazaar and 62 females and one suspected trafficker from Hotel Junction Keishampat respectively.
Again on February 2, the same team , with officials of Anti Human Trafficking Unit, FXB India Suraksha, Imphal and Childline Imphal West, rescued 47 (34 females) suspected victims of trafficking from Hotel Alliance, opposite Tulihal Airport and 2 hotels in North AOC.
Out of the 334 females, 3 were to leave for Delhi by Air Asia flight at 12.50 pm but were intercepted at the airport before they could board the flight.
It continued that all the female victims were immediately sheltered at 8 Ujjawala centres.
As the Social Welfare Dept has no institutional/non institutional mechanism to provide support services for male victims, Minister Nemcha Kipgen arranged for accommodation for all 332 male victims who were later shifted to another place in coordination with the Home Department.
All the female victims will be sheltered under the Ujjawala centres until their repatriation back to Nepal,
it added.