The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) foiled an attempt to traffic seven young Nepalese women, including a minor, near the Indo-Nepal border at Panitanki Bazar in Siliguri late Friday night, based on a tip-off from a confidential source.
The Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of 'C' Company of the 41st Battalion intercepted a four-wheeler around 150 metres inside Indian territory from the border. Two suspected traffickers were apprehended and the victims, who had been lured with false promises of employment, were rescued.
According to officials, the operation forms part of a wider crackdown on a well-organised international trafficking syndicate. Law enforcement agencies have disrupted multiple trafficking attempts in the region over the past month alone.
In a previous incident, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Railway Police rescued 56 women from North Bengal’s Terai-Dooars area during a raid on the Capital Express at New Jalpaiguri station. A week later, 34 more women were rescued during a police raid at the Siliguri bus terminus on Sevoke Road.
In both cases, the victims were en route to Tamil Nadu, having been misled by false job offers. With their operations exposed, the traffickers have reportedly begun targeting young Nepalese women, once again using employment as a ruse.
Superintendent of Police Praveen Prakash confirmed that the arrested traffickers had been handed over to the local police and would be produced before the Siliguri Sub-divisional Court on Saturday. “An investigation is underway to determine the extent of the trafficking network and identify other individuals involved,” he said.
Also read: Human trafficking bid foiled: 56 women rescued at NJP station
The arrested individuals were identified as Japan, a resident of Nepal, and Dipesh Gurung from the Toribari area of the Nepania slum in Darjeeling. Preliminary interrogation has uncovered disturbing details of a cross-border trafficking racket.
Police said the traffickers had been bringing minors and young women from Nepal into India, falsely claiming they would be sent abroad for jobs. They allegedly forged documents such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards and passports to facilitate their movements.
Japan, who also went by the alias “Dada,” had reportedly approached the victims’ families with assurances of employment in Hong Kong. He allegedly collected an advance of approximately Rs 1 lakh Nepalese rupees from each family.
Authorities recovered multiple photos, videos and forged identity documents from Gurung’s mobile phone, suggesting the existence of a broader trafficking network. Investigators believe more girls may have already been trafficked using similar tactics.
Security personnel have intensified surveillance and border patrolling across sensitive stretches, particularly around Panitanki, to prevent further incidents. The successful intervention has highlighted the growing threat of cross-border trafficking and the crucial need for sustained vigilance by security forces.
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