Human trafficking a serious issue: Rajnath Singh

He added that India alone is not a victim of human trafficking as it is a global phenomena

Human trafficking is a border-less organised crime in which more than 1.5 lakh people become victims every year, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

Inaugurating a conference on anti-human trafficking, Singh said India alone is not a victim of human trafficking as it is a global phenomena.

"It is very sensitive and serious issue. It can be called as a border-less organised crime," he said at the conference attended by representatives of all states and union territories.

Citing a recent report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the Home Minister said the figures on South Asia are startling with more than 1.5 lakh people reported as victims in a single year.

Singh said it is shocking that young girls are sexually exploited, children are subjected to amputation, people are sold like cattle stock and bonded labour is still rampant.

Observing that no civilised society can bear such inhuman practices, Singh said the Home Ministry has put in place an effective mechanism and some remarkable achievements have been made to check this menace.

Singh said the Home Ministry is working on a revised scheme to strengthen the Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) with the cooperation of the various state governments.

Underlining the role of various stakeholders including the NGOs especially in the rehabilitation of rescued victims, the Home Minister said it is equally essential to have a nodal coordinating agency for the purpose and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project will also prepare a database on criminals engaged in human trafficking.

Singh said India has recently signed an MoU with Bangladesh to check human trafficking and share information on perpetrating agencies or individuals.

The Home Minister hoped a similar agreement could be signed with Nepal.