Lost childhood: How 16-year-old Munna became a child trafficker

Trough a comic strip, HT explains how juveniles have been turning to trafficking to escape poverty

This is the story of Munna. He could be a minor from any impoverished region of India. He is easily impressed by anyone who has visited a big city. Smartphones and wristwatches are things he dreams about. For human traffickers, it is easy to lure minors such as Munna into city life. The promise of a job and easy money is enough for juveniles like him to leave their villages, voluntarily or involuntarily.

Read full story | ‘Juvenile trafficker’: How human traffickers are training hundreds of minors in the job

Seasoned criminals are now using minors in organised crime by recruiting them to bring younger children from villages to cities. This is an emerging form of human trafficking that is falling through the cracks.