The District Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (DAHTU) under the C-Branch has exposed a suspected case of child labour and rescued three children who were brought here for working in a groundnut sweet manufacturing unit. Investigation is on to track the agents who recruited the children below 16 years old for the job.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Amose Mammen said the incident was tracked by a team led by an Assistant Commissioner on Tuesday as part of their routine surprise inspections based on confidential complaints. He said the squad would ensure the protection of the three boys with the support of the Department of Social Justice.
Mr. Mammen also said search was going on in different locations to expose similar suspected cases. “The field-level action is supported by various other wings such as the Childline,” he added.
Police officers working closely with DAHTU said the premises of cottage industrial ventures in the district would be inspected to prevent all chances of secretly recruiting children as labourers. They also said the owners of the sweet manufacturing unit involved in the latest incident and those who helped them recruit the children as labourers were booked as part of the probe.
According to the police, the rescued children aged between 14 and 16 were brought here from Tamil Nadu. It was reportedly one of their relatives who played the role of the middleman. In the preliminary investigation, it was found that the three were not even given any remuneration for the job. The rescued boys also revealed to the police that they were not even given good food.
