Arunachal Pradesh Police have rescued three minor girls who were suspected of being trafficked to neighbouring Assam, and detained a juvenile boy in connection with the case, a senior officer confirmed on Wednesday.
The girls — aged 12, 13, and 15 — are residents of the Jollang area in Papum Pare district, on the outskirts of Itanagar.
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According to Itanagar Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar, the girls went missing on March 30 after their families lost contact with them. Family members promptly filed complaints with the Women Police Station.
Police immediately launched a search operation across the capital region, reviewing CCTV footage from Itanagar's Smart City surveillance network.
Based on technical inputs and human intelligence, officers traced the minors to the Harmuti-Banderdewa area near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Harmuti falls in Assam's Lakhimpur district, while Banderdewa is in Papum Pare district.
A joint team of police and CRPF rescued the girls in the early hours of March 31 and detained a juvenile boy, approximately 16 years old, in connection with the case.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had contacted the victims through social media and allegedly lured them away from their homes under false pretences.
After picking them up, the boy kept the girls at a paying guest accommodation for one night before transporting them to Harmuti on a hired scooter, where he confined them.
The victims indicated to police that they were likely to be taken onward to Guwahati. Timely police intervention prevented any further movement.
Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The three girls underwent medical examination and have since been reunited with their families.
SP Basar urged parents to actively monitor their children's online activities, given the role social media played in facilitating the alleged crime.