Kathmandu, January 31

Representatives of Maiti Nepal with support from Delhi Commission for Women and Rescue Foundation, an India based local NGO, rescued six Nepali women from a private residence  at Rajiv Nagar, Delhi, yesterday evening. They were kept there to be sent to Gulf countries.

The rescued women between the ages of 19 and 32 years are now under the protection of  DCWRF. Maiti Nepal said they were working with the DCWRF to bring them back to Kathmandu within a few days after completing legal procedures.

The private residence was raided after an unknown person sent an email to Maiti Nepal chairperson Bishwo Khadka a few days ago informing about the Nepali women kept there.

The house with the name plate ‘Maa Fula Devi Niwas, Khasara No. 470 Rajiv Nagar, Delhi-110042’ was used as the collection centre, where Nepali women from various districts were kept for a few days before being sent to Gulf nations.

Khadka said, “They were kept in a small room with a single toilet. Once enough women were collected, they were sent to Manipal to be taken to Myanmar and finally to Dubai.” From Dubai, the women were sent to other Gulf countries such as Iraq and Kuwait. Khadka said the trafficking agents earned up to $500 for each women.

The email sent to Khadka claimed that the agents had already trafficked a group of 25 Nepali women from the same collection centre a few days ago. The email also stated that there was a similar kind of collection centre in Dang district and sought help to prevent trafficking of women, who were ‘sold as cattle in Gulf countries’.

The government had a few years ago had made it mandatory for every Nepali citizens flying abroad from India to gain a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Delhi-based Nepali embassy.

“However, traffickers are now using the land route,”  Khadka said.

The DCWRF in July last year had rescued 71 such women, who were kept at various hotels in Delhi to be transported to Gulf countries. Later on October 11, eight more women were rescued from Delhi.