Two convicted for trafficking 20 children in South Asia
Child trafficking
May 2024
A court in South Asia recently convicted two traffickers for exploiting 20 children in a brick kiln.
The children, some as young as 12, had been forced to mould bricks alongside their parents for 15 hours a day in brutal conditions.
Each family had been lured from a neighbouring state with a small advance payment, which was then used as a false debt to keep them trapped.
Anti-trafficking police, supported by IJM and our partner, brought the children to safety last year following a surprise inspection of the kiln. Police also arrested the owner of the kiln and the recruiter who had tricked the families.
The trial took just 10 months. In the past, similar cases have taken three or four years—or longer—to reach a judgement. This demonstrates the commitment of local authorities to protecting vulnerable people.
“This is one of the quickest convictions we have seen,” shared IJM’s State Programme Director. “We are happy to see that the legal mechanism working efficiently.”
IJM has worked with local partners to combat trafficking in this state in South Asia for nearly 10 years, but just recently launched a state-wide programme to help authorities strengthen their response.
For the last few years, the state has run successful anti-child labour campaigns in January and June. But some perpetrators are aware of these campaigns and know how to hide their offenses.
Running surprise inspections like this allow the police to expose exploitation before it can be hidden away.