Moved from North to South, But Still Freed

A Bangladeshi victim trafficked to Delhi and rescued in Kolkata

On July 28, 2023 we got a lead on Soraya, a Bangladeshi minor who went missing from home over a month ago. She was trafficked to Delhi from Dhaka. According to our source, she was last seen blindfolded with her hands and legs were bound. We knew that we needed to act fast to find her.

Survivor on the phone after rescue

We called the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in Delhi. Unfortunately, when we gave them the details of the case, they were indifferent. So we travelled to Delhi the very next day.

On Sunday, July 30, the police were unavailable to meet with us. When we managed to speak to them later, they said they needed more information on where Soraya was to plan a raid. We spent two days combing parts of South Delhi but found nothing. By the end of the week, the police tracked Soraya to Central Delhi. Since the area was covered by another jurisdiction, we had to engage a different police team. A source shared more specific details about Soraya, including where she was being held and that there were other minor victims and forced majors with her as well. We shared this with the police and a raid was planned.

Follow up after rescue

Before we arrived at Soraya’s location, we got an update that she had been moved. Once again, we had to call on all our sources for new information. Within an hour, we received Soraya’s new location. Since the team was already assembled we proceeded with the raid. Once again, before we arrived at the new location, we were told that Soraya had been moved. This time, there were no new leads. The trail had gone cold.

On Sunday, August 6, a source contacted us with new information. We learned that Soraya had been put on a train by a trafficker and was on her way to Kolkata. Another trafficker would be at the station to receive her.

The next day, we double checked with another source to verify details about Soraya. Once confirmed, we alerted the police and the intervention team. At 8:22 AM, as soon as the train pulled into the station, the police and our team rescued the victim.

Soraya on the train, as police and investigators verified her identity

There was no sign of the trafficker at the station. Soraya is currently at a local shelter home. We are working on repatriating her to her family in Bangladesh. The police are investigating this case further and hope to find all who were responsible for trafficking and exploiting this 16-year-old girl.