Delhi Police uncovered a human trafficking ring that targeted minors and laborers, often picking them up from railway stations. The traffickers moved the victims to Jammu and Kashmir and forced them into domestic work and bonded labor. During the operation, officers rescued three minors and arrested four men, while several other suspects are still on the run.
The case started in December 2024 when a woman reported her 15-year-old daughter and her daughter’s 13-year-old friend missing at Bhalswa Dairy police station. The teenager had left home after an argument with her parents and persuaded her friend to join her. For months, the police made little progress. Then in June 2025, a man from Jammu approached the local police. He said the missing girl had contacted him on Instagram but later switched to a phone number from Jammu.
Investigators traced the number to a maid working in Jammu. On June 15, they raided her house and rescued the two girls. The teenagers told police that traffickers lured them at Old Delhi railway station before transporting them to Jammu. In Srinagar, they were forced to work without pay as domestic help. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Hareshwar Swami confirmed the details.
On August 14, police arrested a man named Suraj, 31, in Begampur. Suraj admitted that he transported children to Jammu for local agents. His information led police to Salim, who ran V A Manpower Private Limited in Srinagar. Salim confessed that he had trafficked nearly 500 people in two years. His agency charged between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 for male laborers and up to Rs 60,000 for females.
On August 19, police took Salim to Srinagar for further action. They raided his agency and arrested two more men, Md Talib and Satnam Singh. Officers also rescued another 16-year-old victim. Talib carried a fake UP Police identity card, which he used to pass border checks.
The racket relied on touts and placement agents who searched for vulnerable minors and poor workers. Once recruited, the victims were sent to different households as bonded laborers or domestic workers. The network earned large sums by exploiting desperate families.
Police are still searching for four more men: Shahbaz Khan, Naresh, Rohit Pandey, and Sohail Ahmad. They are linked to another Srinagar-based agency called Sunaaz Placement, which allegedly operated in the same way as Salim’s agency.
Officials stressed that the case highlights the urgent need to protect minors in urban areas. They called on parents, communities, and governments to remain alert and work together against such crimes. The investigation continues, and Delhi Police say this case should serve as a strong warning about the dangers of trafficking networks that prey on vulnerable children.
