ugc_banner

Indian police rescue 22 women trafficked from Nepal

WION
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Sep 03, 2016, 03:09 PM IST
main img
Since last year's devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake, Nepal has seen an upswing in the number of cases of trafficking. Photograph:(Getty)
Indian police rescued 22 Nepalese women from a hotel in India’s capital city of New Delhi. They were allegedly being trafficked from Nepal to West Asia. The police are still searching for two suspects, officers said Saturday.

After receiving a tip-off from Nepal embassy, Delhi Police officers raided a hotel near Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. 

One of the trafficked women had earlier escaped from the hotel and reached the embassy, leading to the police raid. 

Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (crime) in New Delhi told AFP 22 women were rescued in the raid.

"Twenty-two women were rescued in the raid. We have identified two accused who are evading arrest," he said.

He added, "The women will give their testimonies before a court today. The visas indicate most of them were flying to Qatar and other West Asian countries.”

The trafficked women were desperately looking for work in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in April 2015. 

Another officer said the women were lured with the promise of jobs in West Asia.

Their passports and documents were taken away by the traffickers after they arrived in Delhi a week ago.

Since last year's devastating earthquake, Nepal has seen an upswing in the number of cases of trafficking. Campaigners have warned that gangs are targeting vulnerable women and children and traffic through the porous border with India.

Many of them are trafficked to India and Gulf countries and forced into slavery and prostitution. 

(WION with inputs from agencies)