29 August 2022
MUMBAI, INDIA – On 29 August, a newly formed police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) rescued 10 young women from sexual exploitation, one month after completing training from IJM’s team in Mumbai.
The training equipped police units with investigation skills, online tools, safe intervention strategies and ways to prepare strong evidence for court in cases of commercial sexual exploitation. One month later, these officers applied their new skills by intercepting a private trafficking ring in their community, which led to the rescue of 10 young women. Finding 10 women in one location is extremely rare as many private networks operate more cautiously and only bring in one or two women to a particular location.
The Assistant Police Inspector shared:
“We received a training from IJM last month. Because of that training, we were able to save 10 women from commercial sexual exploitation today.”
Following the rescue, the police escorted the women to a shelter home for expert crisis care and medical examinations. The government will also conduct home enquiries to determine if it is safe for each woman to return home or if long-term protection is required.
IJM staff commended the officers for their victim-sensitivity throughout the case, which has helped the women trust law enforcement and open up about their abuse. With their insights, police will be able to track down other criminals in this trafficking network and rescue other victims.
Note: IJM Mumbai has concluded its program on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and has begun its focus on bonded labour. Some activities—like these AHTU trainings—have continued into this fiscal year to ensure sustainability of the program, but IJM is now solely focused on protecting more than 300 million people from bonded labour in India.
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