Dikhyaa Mohanty 
According to the most recent NCRB report on Human Trafficking (2021), Odisha recorded the greatest number of incidents of human trafficking. 735 of the 1475 victims that were trafficked out of Odisha were women, and 497 of them were under the age of 18. Minati Behera, chair of the State Commission for Women, noted today that elopement instances among young teenagers have increased, particularly post-COVID, when speaking at a session on “Emerging Trends in Human Trafficking.”
The Commission is already educating the public by hosting seminars in all districts, and workshops at the college level will also be held to educate young teenagers about the dangers of human trafficking. Children as young as 14 years old are becoming more susceptible to these crimes due to the availability of mobile phones. Young teenagers enter into romances and then elope at a young age without considering the repercussions. After a few months of cohabitation, they part ways. These girls become simple prey for traffickers, who seduce them into the sex trade, according to Behera.
Arun Bothra, ADGP CID Crime Branch, called human trafficking a “complex” issue. He also emphasized the measures made by the state government to combat the problem, including the establishment of women’s and children’s desks at police stations and an integrated anti-human trafficking unit in each district. Bothra urged the civic community to offer “actionable information” and support in locating hotspots for bonded labor and human trafficking. Umi Daniel, Director of Migration & Education at Aide et Action, emphasized the role played by police in the arrests of traffickers last year.
