Callers from abroad can dial 9771177 to inform about any incident

Kathmandu, February 8

A hotline (1177) set up at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division on January 8 to collect information about human trafficking has been receiving an average of 30 calls daily.

The 24x7 helpline was established after human trafficking thrived on the pretext of foreign employment, studies abroad and transnational marriage.

According to the MPCD, anyone can call the hotline from anywhere. “However,

the caller should dial 9771177 while making a call from abroad. Victims or informers can contact and give information or inputs that lead to the arrest of perpetrators and rescue of the victims,” it said.

Most of the callers complain about being lured by false promises of decent jobs and better lives abroad, salary not given as agreed by the agents earlier, seizure of machine readable passports, and women and girls being trafficked to foreign countries in the name of foreign employment.

The MPCD said it rescued a woman sold in Macau thanks to information received by the helpline.

Her rescue led to the arrest of the perpetrators operating a recruitment agency in Kathmandu.

Police officials have been working with various national and international non-government organisations to rescue the victims of human trafficking from foreign countries.

According to statistics maintained by the government, nearly four million Nepalis are employed abroad, mainly in Malaysia and Gulf countries.

Likewise, more than 635 manpower agencies have been working in recruiting and sending Nepali migrant workers abroad. “Despite the enactment of

Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act-2007 and Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Rules-2008 by the Government of Nepal, the lack of effective implementation of laws and awareness-raising programmes has resulted in the spread of the trafficking rings deep and far instead of controlling this scourge.

Bearing this in mind, police had recently launched a massive crackdown on suspected marriage bureaus, educational consultancies and outsourcing agencies.

Human traffickers have been capitalising on the terrain of the country, lack of employment opportunity, low education level and poverty to lure women and girls to foreign countries with the promise of lucrative jobs and better future.

The victims feel cheated only when they are left to fend for themselves in a foreign land. It is the second largest criminal industry after drug trafficking.

Nepal Police has underscored the need to post a police attache in destination countries to prevent human trafficking and initiate legal action against the guilty living abroad.

It has urged the government through the Ministry of Home Affairs to take the initiative in this regard.