Srinagar, Oct 20: Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch DIG Abdul Qayoom on Tuesday said human trafficking has acquired a new and alarming dimension with people being lured abroad on the pretext of jobs and forced into criminal activities after their passports are confiscated.
Addressing a UT-level conference on anti-human trafficking at Tagore Hall here, DIG Qayoom said “cyber slavery” had emerged as a major challenge, with several people being taken to foreign countries through fraudulent job offers.
Some people are taken to foreign countries on the pretext of jobs, where their passports are snatched and they are made to work in such a way that they end up committing crimes. There are some who end up committing heinous crimes, he said.
DIG Qayoom said some people were rescued from Thailand and Burma last year, highlighting the growing scale and complexity of trafficking-related cases.
Describing human trafficking as a grave problem, he cautioned people against fraudulent consultancies promising lucrative overseas employment, saying several scams had come to light in the region.
There have been cases where people were promised jobs in the Middle East but were taken to Laos. When they were told they would be sent to Dubai, they were landed in Thailand, he said, urging people to verify employment offers before travelling abroad.
The DIG stressed the need for greater public awareness and collective efforts by civil society and law enforcement agencies to tackle the menace.
He said police stations, investigating agencies and anti-human trafficking units operating across districts were working to address complaints involving suspected trafficking.
Emphasising the need to reach vulnerable sections of society, DIG Qayoom said awareness campaigns should focus particularly on people with limited knowledge of overseas employment fraud and trafficking networks.
He also urged the judiciary to consider the gravity of human trafficking offences while dealing with such cases.
This is not only against an individual; this is a crime against humanity, he said.
