a Malaysia for Malaysians

KOLKATA/IMPHAL: Five tribal girls from Manipur, who had been trafficked to Malaysia via Kolkata earlier this year, were rescued and brought back to the city late on Friday evening.

An international agency that helped in the repatriation said the kingpin of the racket had trafficked girls from Kolkata as well as all major towns in the North-East. Guardians of the five girls have formed an organisation called Repatriation of Stranded Girls (RSG) to rally for the rescue of trafficked girls.

Manipur chief minister Ibobi Singh said one of the local racketeers, Philip Gangmei, had been arrested on September 23. Three other arrests were made on October 3. RSG estimates around two dozen agents are still operating in Manipur.

The five girls were rescued after one of them managed to escape from a Kuala Lumpur nightclub where they had been sold by Ricky Ho, head of Singapore-based firm Abel & Jeo Pvt Ltd.

The girl managed to reach the Indian embassy in Kuala Lumpur and narrated their story. The Indian embassy rescued the four others from the nightclub and handed them to David Pasteur Christian Home for destitutes. The latter called up social activist Kinderson Panmei, who submitted a memorandum to the Union ministry of overseas Indian affairs, urging him to probe the matter and help in the repatriation of the girls. The Centre has already initiated a probe into the matter.

Speaking to TOI, the traumatized girls revealed that they had been lured by Ho’s men with promises of jobs in Singapore. On reaching there, they were employed in homes in Singpore as domestic helps. Six months later, they were transported to Malaysia and sold to a local club at the capital.

Members of the organisation that aided their repatriation said there were around 150 more girls, mostly from the Zeliangrong Naga community, similarly trafficked since last October. Only recently, five girls were intercepted in Dimapur on way to Singapore via Kolkata. They had been similarly promised jobs in Singapore by Ho’s men.

In Imphal, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said a police vigil group has been instituted to check rise in
human trafficking in Manipur. Nodal officers have been appointed to report to inspector general of police on the matter. Deputy superintendent of police and senior sub-inspectors, including women in the district level, will pursue the cases.

“The officers have begun monitoring the movement of people being taken to other states with promise of jobs. Iinvestigation is on and the accused, if found guilty, will be dealt with accordingly,” the CM said in the state assembly on Friday.

Source : The Times of India