Faizan Haider Hindustan Times Traffickers are using social media to lure minor girls from northeast India to Delhi. In a recent case, which has baffled the police, a girl from Nagaland was rescued from Imphal airport minutes before her flight to Delhi was to take off. She told the police that a man from Delhi had contacted her through Facebook in 2016 and soon they became friends. He chatted with her for nearly a year before mailing her an air ticket to the Capital. Investigation revealed that the man was planning to push her into prostitution and had contacted several girls in a similar way. “The incident shows how social media is making young girls vulnerable. The traffickers are randomly sending messages to girls and when someone replies, they trap them. The girl was promised a good job in Delhi but was saved just before her flight was to take off. We have accessed the contact details and the man is regularly chatting with many girls in northeast, Punjab and Goa,” said Joseph Hesso, Superintendent of Police (Kohima). Sources said that the ticket was booked from Delhi and the girl was asked to come to Imphal airport. Her parents contacted the police once she went missing and the officials at Imphal airport were informed. “We had her old photo. Our staff was alerted but she did not come to the airport on the day we were expecting her to. Two days later, staff at the airport informed us that a 17-year-old girl was boarding a Jet Airways flight. We rushed and stopped the flight and later it was confirmed that she was the one Nagaland police had been looking for,” said K H Sarma, SP (CID), Imphal. The accused has been identified and a team of Nagaland police is in the Capital to nab him. They are also trying to access his Facebook chats. “The incident shows how innovative the traffickers have become. Earlier, they used to send agents to bring girls and now they do not even need to go there. Young girls need to be sensitised on the use of social media and why they should avoid chatting with strangers,” said Rishi Kant of Shaktivahini NGO, which is assisting police in the operation.
