New Delhi: A woman named Anjali was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation last year in April after the agency busted a child trafficking racket. Exactly a year later, she was rearrested last week by Dwarka police for being part of a similar racket. Investigations revealed the 36-year-old had been released on bail in March this year and promptly began operating again. Over the past year, agencies busted at least six major trafficking rackets and arrested around 21 individuals. This, however, hasn’t deterred the traffickers.
The analysis of recent cases of child trafficking rackets busted in Delhi highlights the persistent nature of this problem. Despite the efforts of law enforcement agencies, vulnerable children and families continue to be exploited.
Investigators find common patterns in child trafficking operations. Most cases involve children being trafficked from rural areas to urban centres, sometimes across state borders. “Poverty and vulnerability are the key factors that make families and children susceptible to traffickers’ promises. Many families and children are unaware of the risks of trafficking or are misled by false promises,” a police officer said.
Trafficking rackets often operate as organised networks, with several individuals involved in recruiting, transporting and exploiting children. There’s often advanced planning of operations, including identifying and preying on pregnant women in vulnerable situations. A Delhi Police officer said, “The gangs we busted in 2024 operated through complex networks, targeting vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers, particularly in rural or impoverished areas. They used various tactics, including deception, coercion and financial incentives, to acquire newborns. These babies were then sold to prospective parents, often through illegal adoption processes or in the black market.”
The traffickers advertised through social media posts and left contact details at govt hospitals so that women in need of money could contact them to sell their infants, investigators revealed. The gangs operate without notice until one of them bought a stolen infant. Last June, a one-year-old boy was kidnapped in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden and sold to a woman in Bihar for Rs 3 lakh. But police were able to bust the racket. They arrested three people, including the 36-year-old woman. The gang, police found, targeted children of homeless people and sold them to childless couples in other states.
In April last year, CBI busted a major child trafficking network in the city and other parts of the country, arresting seven suspects and rescuing three newborn babies after conducting raids across the city. The gang operated by advertising on social media platforms, using Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups to connect with childless couples seeking to adopt babies.
“They allegedly bought babies from parents and surrogate mothers and sold them to such couples for Rs 4-6 lakh per child. The gang also duped childless couples of lakhs of rupees by creating fake adoption documents to legitimise their illegal business,” informed a cop.
In Feb last year, city cops busted a child trafficking racket with the arrest of eight people from Begampur in northwest Delhi’s Rohini and from Punjab. The gang allegedly sold newborn babies for Rs 12-15 lakh in the capital after buying them from poor families in Punjab for about Rs 50,000. The members scoured remote areas of Punjab, targeting economically disadvantaged families with many children and tempting them with the big amounts. Investigators suspect hospital staff could also have divulged patient information.
According to the investigators, the problem also needed a fix at the societal level as the police role was limited to catching the perpetrators after receiving a complaint. “To combat child trafficking, it is essential to strengthen law enforcement, raise awareness about trafficking risks and promote education,” said a retired police officer who once headed the anti-human trafficking unit in Delhi Police. “Support systems for vulnerable families and children are also crucial in providing them with the necessary protection and assistance. Addressing the root causes will help reduce their vulnerability.”