On August 4th 2021, JVI and one of its partners assisted the District Magistrate (DM), Commissioner of Police (CP), Child Welfare Committee (CWC), West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) and the Special Task Force in conducting a sex trafficking rescue in a large red light area in Asansol, West Bengal, in which 21 minor girls were given freedom. This area was very difficult to infiltrate due to local mafia control and pervasive criminal activity.
Within just three hours of having confirmed the presence of minors in the brothel, JVI and its partner reached out to local officials, drew up a rescue plan with high level police officers and executed it to reduce the chances of a tip-off.As the rescue team made its way into the red light district, people on the street scurried for cover into shops known to host transactions between customers and pimps/brothel owners. Once at the target site, the team quickly identified and secured the minors while the police officials guarded the premises. These girls were found living in appalling conditions. Locked away in different rooms, they were not allowed to interact with outsiders and were abused by customers multiple times a day. Brothel owners pocketed most of the money paid by customers, leaving the victims with virtually no money and entirely under the control of the owners. The girls, some as young as 13, were trafficked from the neighboring state of Bihar and across the border from Bangladesh.
During the intervention, JVI team members gathered additional intel regarding additional minor girls in the vicinity. Working with the government, JVI and its partner initially discovered five girls in one location with nearly 10 customers. After expanding the search with the valuable intel, the team reassembled and were able to accompany 17 more from the area into rescue vehicles. Police officials gathered around the pimps and customers ensuring that none escaped and eventually arrested 25 alleged offenders. Before sealing the brothels, officials collected evidence to be used during legal proceedings against the perpetrators.
All survivors are now relocated to aftercare homes where they will receive holistic reintegration into society. With the help of local partners, JVI will ensure each survivor receives access to education and skills training tailored to each individual’s needs.
JVI’s South Asia Director expounded on the benefit of partnerships, underlining its importance in tackling human trafficking – “JVI realizes its mission through a unique model which caters to securing justice for individuals, strengthening justice organizations, and improving justice systems. At Asansol, we witnessed all three aspects of our model working in harmony as we secured freedom for many through our partners operating in collaboration with sensitized government agencies.”
