Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania on Friday stated that the police department is focused on bolstering its Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Units (IAHTUs). The effort includes enhancing manpower and utilising new technology to intensify the fight against human trafficking across the state.
After the inauguration of a state-level conference on human trafficking in Bhubaneswar this morning, the DGP said this while addressing a gathering of officers of police, labour and other departments working against human trafficking
The DGP stressed that human trafficking is a matter of “utmost concern and urgency” for both Odisha and the nation. “Human trafficking is not just a crime — it is a violation of basic human rights. It strips individuals, especially women and children, of their dignity, their freedom, and their future,” he said.
The DGP highlighted that Odisha’s socio-economic and geographic vulnerabilities make it a source, transit, and destination for trafficking, complicating the fight.
“In Odisha, we have seen trafficking manifest in many forms: sexual exploitation, forced labour, child trafficking for domestic work and more insidiously, the trafficking of young girls under the guise of employment or marriage,” pointed out Khurania.
The IAHTUs, district child protection units and district labour officers play a pivotal role in rescuing the victims. However, rescue is not the end, rehabilitation and prevention are also equally vital, he stated.
“Combating trafficking requires more than just law enforcement. It requires a coordinated, multi-agency approach involving the police, child protection units, labour departments, NGOs, judiciary, and the community at large,” the DGP further said.
Affirming the Odisha Police’s commitment to eradicating this heinous crime, he stated, “To strengthen the IAHTUs, we are working on enhancing manpower, training, and resources available at the district level.” Furthermore, the police are deepening inter-agency and inter-state cooperation to trace and dismantle trafficking networks, while also exploring data analytics, surveillance, and digital platforms for tracking suspected traffickers and missing persons.
“Every trafficker we allow to escape justice is another child at risk, another woman exploited, another family broken. We must be relentless, compassionate and united,” Khurania told the officers.
This year, the Odisha Police conducted a special drive called ‘Operation Anweshan,’ during which 1,209 missing children (131 boys and 1,078 girls), along with 6,667 missing women were rescued.
The DGP further assured the Odisha Police will continue to expand the operation in the coming days.
Also speaking at the event, retired NDRF DGP P M Nair discussed different aspects of human trafficking, its evolving trends, and remedies.
Supreme Court Advocate Ravi Kant stressed the importance of reintegrating rescued children into their families and society, ensuring they receive a new lease of life with health, education, and safety.
Additionally, Union Home Ministry Deputy Commandant Sanjay Kumar addressed the issue of human trafficking and ‘cyber slavery.
