World · India Bureau
Human trafficking ring busted: Myanmar women rescued from forced marriages
Indian authorities have dismantled a human trafficking network that brought vulnerable women from refugee camps to Kashmir for forced marriages. Two Rohingya traffickers have been arrested in connection with the scheme.
LSN India ·

Railway Protection Force personnel in Gwalior have rescued four Myanmar women who were being trafficked through a coordinated smuggling operation. The women, originally from the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, were intercepted before being transported to Jammu and Kashmir where they were allegedly to be married off as part of an organized trafficking scheme.
The operation led to the arrest of two Rohingya traffickers based in Hyderabad, who were orchestrating the movement of vulnerable women across state borders. Investigators have determined that the network targeted women from refugee camps, exploiting their precarious circumstances and lack of documentation to facilitate their illegal movement.
The rescue marks a significant breakthrough in combating human trafficking networks that operate across South Asia. Authorities said the traffickers had established a coordinated system to move women from refugee settlements in Bangladesh to various states in India, where they were forced into marriages with traffickers' associates or sold to other criminal networks.
The case underscores growing concerns about transnational trafficking rings targeting refugee populations in the region. Officials have launched a broader investigation to identify other potential victims and network members operating in different states. The rescued women have been placed in protective custody pending further investigation and repatriation proceedings.