BUBANESHWAR, INDIA – A coordinated crackdown by Odisha State police has led to the arrest of 91 traffickers and middlemen suspected of selling families into forced labour slavery. IJM believes this may be the largest sweep of its kind in modern India.
The arrest operations moved in two waves in late October, after IJM and partners helped the local authorities map webs of traffickers who deceive and exploit the poor.
Forty-one suspects were arrested in Balangir and Nuapada districts in the first wave on 13 October. Fifty more were apprehended in Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts in the second on 18 October. Many were caught while “finalising deals” to traffic new families from these vulnerable communities.
Police have said their crackdown on traffickers will continue in the weeks and months ahead.
“It is very encouraging to see law enforcement in Odisha taking a lead role in cracking down the problem,” says Neenu Thomas, IJM’s director in Odisha. “They are sending a strong message that human trafficking will no longer be tolerated. This commendable move by the state government will definitely go a great way in curbing the crime.”
How Traffickers Work
People in Odisha have been increasingly at risk of trafficking in recent years due to poor farming conditions and the lack of good jobs. In July, the state’s Labour Minister explained that more than 100,000 people had notified the government they were migrating for work this year; the number of unregistered cases is believed to be much higher.
October is particularly tough—as the farming season winds down and many families must migrate for work. At the same time, in other states, dry-season industries like brick kilns are ramping up and looking for cheap labour.
This cycle of desperation and demand has created a complicated system of migration and potential abuse. Criminals promise to find labourers good jobs in other states, but then they sell them to brick kilns or farms where they experience severe violence and deprivation.
IJM has learned that, to hide their crimes, traffickers often instruct families to wear their best clothes and tell anyone who asks that they are travelling for a wedding or a funeral. Sometimes they buy nice luggage for trafficked labourers, so they look more like vacationers than victims. Traffickers also switch between using buses and trains to avoid wherever police are monitoring more closely.
October’s police sweeps focused on criminals at various stages of this process—from the middlemen who identify vulnerable families and promise good work, to the actual traffickers who transport and sell them.
“These traffickers know just how vulnerable families become, and they know just how to trick them into exploitative conditions,” shares Thomas. “Enslaved labourers face unbelievable violence and abuse, and it’s up to all of us to keep them safe.”
IJM’s Role in Ending Trafficking
Since 2015, IJM’s small team in Odisha has been providing rehabilitative support to thousands of children, women and men rescued from bonded labour slavery in other parts of India. This year, we began sharing learnings from these survivors to help the state government better understand and combat human trafficking.
In the past, authorities in Odisha had struggled to feel “ownership” of trafficking issues, because the violence and exploitation was happening in other states. IJM and our partners have worked closely with the government to help them see their unique role in protecting citizens at the source and stopping traffickers before the poor become enslaved.
These arrest operations focused on source-state traffickers and middlemen are just the beginning of a concerted effort to keep communities safe.
Thomas adds, “Our vision is to see Odisha’s government continue this proactive push against human trafficking and intercept many more criminals who would exploit the poor. We believe their efforts can protect millions more from ever being trafficked in the first place, and make this a safer place to live overall.”
Read more about these arrests in local media:
• Daily Hunt
• Hindustan Times
• India Today
• The New Indian Express
• Odisha TV
• Orissa Post
• Outlook India
• The Pioneer
• Pragativadi
• Reporters Today
• The Weekend Leader
