By Rohit Alok The Mumbai Police has set up Anti-Human trafficking Units (AHTU) across the city to prioritise human trafficking crimes. A letter dated January 24, issued by Sadanand Date, the then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said that in addition to the Social Service Branch (SSB), two more units would be set up at Crime Branch Unit 1 and Unit 9 to look into trafficking crimes. Also, units would be set up at zonal levels in each of the thirteen zones, including port zone, it said. According to Pravin Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Enforcement), the move was aimed at screening all the missing person complaints registered with the local police. [related-post] “If the local police cannot trace a missing person in four months, that particular case will get transferred to the zonal level AHTU. They will then screen the case and if the details indicate immoral trafficking or something serious on those lines, the case will be transferred to the Crime Branch. We will prioritise each case and missing minors will be dealt with utmost importance,” Patil said. Date’s letter had cited figures of missing minors and said the numbers were too high. The letter said that special teams comprising two officers, four constables and two lady police officers would be formed at the zonal level to work on the initiative.
