Agartala/Itanagar, Dec 24 (NationPress) Responding to a call from the Tripura Police, the Arunachal Pradesh Police successfully rescued 24 child labourers along with several adult workers on Wednesday. These individuals were reportedly trafficked to the state for illegal work, as per officials.

A senior officer from the Tripura police stated that the Arunachal Pradesh Police informed them late Wednesday night about the successful recovery of the 24 child labourers and the accompanying adults.

An official delegation from the Tripura government is set to travel to Itanagar on Thursday to facilitate the return of the rescued children.

Initially, family members had reported that approximately 30 child labourers, along with a few adults, had been taken to Arunachal Pradesh. However, further investigations established that 24 children had been forcibly taken for illegal work.

Tapas Malakar, Officer-in-Charge at the Kailashahar Police Station in Tripura’s Unakoti district, mentioned that Tripura Police reached out to their counterparts in Arunachal Pradesh after filing a missing persons report, seeking help in locating the children.

After receiving the Tripura government's request, the Arunachal Pradesh Police initiated a focused search operation that ultimately led to the successful rescue of the children and adults, Malakar informed the media.

The families of the children had lodged a formal complaint at the Kailashahar Police Station on Tuesday, alleging that the children were mistreated and forced to live in horrific conditions, leading to significant mental distress.

“The families are in profound distress and are urgently seeking the safe and swift return of their loved ones,” Malakar expressed, underlining the humanitarian aspect of this situation.

The parents of the missing minors are employed at tea plantations in Northern Tripura’s Unakoti district.

Meanwhile, Tinku Roy, the Tripura Minister for Labour, Social Welfare, and Social Education, reached out to Arunachal Pradesh’s Minister for Commerce, Industries, Labour, and Employment, Nyato Dukam, requesting his intervention to aid in the rescue of the children.

In his letter, Roy mentioned that about 30 child labourers, along with a few adults, were taken from Rangrung Tea Garden and another garden in Kailashahar under Unakoti district to Arunachal Pradesh under the pretense of employment and benefits.

However, the traffickers allegedly denied the children their rightful entitlements.

Roy also noted that family members accused the children of facing ill-treatment and being compelled to live inhumane conditions, which resulted in severe emotional distress and anxiety.

“Considering the seriousness of this issue and the humanitarian concerns involved, I earnestly request your kind intervention to provide all necessary assistance for the immediate rescue and safe repatriation of the child labourers to their homes in Tripura as soon as possible,” Roy emphasized in the letter.