Ghaziabad Police Bust Human Trafficking Gang, Rescue 11-Day-Old Infant
In a major breakthrough, the Ghaziabad police busted a human trafficking gang and rescued an 11-day-old infant in Tronica City on Wednesday. Twelve accused were arrested from the spot, and the newborn was safely reunited with her family.
According to DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari, the complainant, Hina, reported on May 26 that a woman named Puja had taken her newborn infant from their home and handed the child over to a man named Monu alias Manoj. An FIR was registered under BNS sections 137(2) (kidnapping) and 3(5) (common intention) at Tronica City police station, and multiple teams were formed to rescue the infant and trace the accused.
On Tuesday, based on manual inputs, CCTV footage, informer networks, and surveillance, the police successfully dismantled the human trafficking gang. During the operation, three cars were seized, and counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 2 lakh 90 thousand were recovered from their possession. Additional BNS sections 179 (theft), 143(4) (trafficking of persons), and 61 (criminal conspiracy) were also added to the FIR.
Details of the Arrested Accused
The arrested accused include Sunil Kumar (36), his wife Krishna Devi (34), Sanjay Kumar (36), Rajendra Singh (36), Pawan Kumar (28), Manoj Prakash alias Monu (28), Vineet Kumar (34), his wife Rabiya (33), Jyoti (33), Puja (39), Farmina (37), and Kumkum (24).
Rabiya, who is the sister-in-law of Hina, confessed to coercing Hina to agree to sell her newborn while she was still pregnant. She later contacted Monu and Puja, who allegedly run the trafficking network, and they agreed to buy the infant for Rs 2 lakh. However, after the baby girl was born on May 23, Hina had second thoughts and backed out of the deal.
When Rabiya informed Monu, he stated that he had already made arrangements for the infant to be sold ahead and pressured Rabiya to bring the newborn to him by any means. Subsequently, Rabiya kidnapped the infant and handed her over.
Modus Operandi of the Gang
The police investigation revealed that the accused had arranged to sell the girl to a couple in Andhra Pradesh through several absconding accused. The gang had previously sold several children to people in Andhra Pradesh, according to the police.
The accused were all meeting at a secluded spot near a temple in Tronica City to complete the exchange on Wednesday, when the police busted the operation.
When questioned about the counterfeit notes, the accused stated that they used these fake notes to purchase children. The modus operandi involved using counterfeit money to buy children, and by the time the buyers realized the money was fake, the child would be gone, leaving them with no way to file a complaint as the counterfeit money was obtained during a crime. When questioned about the recovered vehicles, the accused said they used these vehicles interchangeably for trafficking abducted children to avoid identification.
The DCP emphasized the importance of public vigilance and cooperation in such cases. The rescued infant has been reunited with her family, and further investigations are underway to trace the absconding accused and dismantle the entire network.
