Use facial recognition, real-time alerts to tackle human trafficking: MHA to states/UTs | India News

Introduction to New GuidelinesThe ministry of home affairs (MHA) has asked all the states and union territories to use facial recognition, cyber surveillance and real-time alerts to identify the victims of human trafficking and track suspected traffickers, while recommending formation of joint investigations teams (JITs) in complex cross-border cases and monitoring ‘overseas recruitment scams’.The detailed guidelines also ask the chief secretaries and director generals of police (DGPs) to use the section 111 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) - which covers organised crime - to target the trafficking networks rather than limiting the investigations to low-level operators.People familiar with the latest advisory said this is the first detailed guiding document on tackling human trafficking since the three new criminal laws came into effect last year. “After Naxalism and combating drugs, the next big target of the government is to end human trafficking in India,” said a senior government official, who didn’t want to be named.On using technology as a force multiplier, the guidelines - made public earlier this week - state “States must consistently utilize the National Automated Facial Recognition System (NAFRS) to cross-reference rescued individuals and unidentified minors with the Mission Vatsalya portal.”Also Read: Four sentenced to 7 years for role in Rohingya trafficking network“State police must enhance their cyber- patrolling capabilities to identify grooming patterns on social media and fraudulent job advertisements on recruitment portals,” it adds.The ministry further asked the states/UTs to use the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) and Cri-MAC platform to map “high-risk migration routes and trafficking hotspots”, and also “coordinate with each other and prioritize real-time alerts and flag known traffickers moving across state borders”.It suggested forming SITs in complex cross-border cases, which will allow “sharing of evidence and resources across state lines”.On the trends of overseas recruitment scams and digital exploitation of Indians, who are lured with high-paying jobs, MHA guidelines say that states’ police cyber cells “must maintain constant vigil over social media and job portals for suspicious offers”.