In a significant breakthrough against international human trafficking, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) rescued seven Nepalese girls—one of them a minor—during a late-night operation at Panitanki Bazar near the Indo-Nepal border in Siliguri. The raid, carried out on Friday night by the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of ‘C’ Company of the 41st Battalion, led to the arrest of two traffickers.
Acting on confidential information, the SSB intercepted a four-wheeler just 150 meters inside Indian territory from the border. The vehicle was carrying the victims, who had reportedly been lured with false promises of jobs abroad.
Part of a wider trafficking network
Authorities have confirmed that this case is linked to a broader, well-organised international trafficking racket operating in the region. Over the past month, law enforcement has thwarted multiple similar attempts. In one such incident, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Police rescued 56 women from the Terai-Dooars region during a raid aboard the Capital Express at New Jalpaiguri station. A week later, another 34 women were saved from traffickers at the Siliguri bus terminus on Sevoke Road.
Women targeted with false job offers
In both previous cases, the victims were promised jobs in Tamil Nadu. With their domestic trafficking operations failing, the traffickers shifted focus to Nepalese women—once again using fake job offers as bait.
Superintendent of Police Praveen Prakash confirmed that the two suspects were handed over to the local police and will be presented before the Siliguri Sub-divisional Court on Saturday. “An investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the trafficking network and identify other individuals involved,” he said.
The arrested traffickers have been identified as Japan, a resident of Nepal, and Dipesh Gurung from Toribari in the Nepania slum of Darjeeling. During preliminary interrogation, the duo revealed disturbing details about an international human trafficking syndicate that lures young girls and minors from Nepal into India under the pretext of foreign employment.
Fake IDs and promises of jobs
According to the police, the traffickers forged official documents—such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and passports—for the victims. Japan, also known by the alias “Dada,” reportedly contacted the girls’ families and promised to send them to Hong Kong for jobs. In return, he charged around ₹1 lakh Nepalese rupees from each family as an advance.
Police also recovered several photos, videos, and forged identity documents of other potential victims from the mobile phone of the accused—suggesting that many other girls may have already been trafficked.
Following the raid, authorities have stepped up surveillance and patrolling along the Indo-Nepal border, particularly in sensitive zones like Panitanki. This latest success by the SSB highlights the growing threat of cross-border trafficking and the critical importance of swift, coordinated action by security forces.