Tripura police rescue 24 missing youths from Arunachal’s Siang in inter-state operation

Tripura Police have successfully rescued 24 youths reported missing from Unakoti district after tracing their location to Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, following a swift and coordinated inter-state operation.

Unakoti Superintendent of Police Sudhambika R said on December 25 that the police received a complaint a day earlier from a woman alleging that 24 youths had gone missing. An FIR was immediately registered and an investigation launched. During the probe, police tracked the movement of the youths to Arunachal Pradesh and confirmed their presence in Siang district.

“Once their location was identified, we contacted the Superintendent of Police and the officer-in-charge of the concerned police station in Siang. Arunachal Pradesh Police acted promptly and rescued all 24 youths safely,” the SP said. She added that the Director General of Police of Tripura also spoke with his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart to ensure seamless coordination during the rescue operation.

“All the youths are safe. A special team from Tripura Police will leave tomorrow to bring them back,” Sudhambika said, adding that further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances under which the youths were taken to Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier, Tripura Labour Minister Tinku Roy had written to Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Labour and Employment Nyato Dukam, seeking urgent intervention for the rescue and repatriation of around 24 child labourers allegedly trafficked from Tripura. In his letter, Roy stated that engaging children as labour is prohibited under law and constitutes a serious violation of human rights.

The minister informed that a case was registered at Kailashahar Police Station after reports emerged that nearly 30 child labourers, along with a few adults, were taken from Rangrung Tea Garden and another tea garden in the Kalishasan area of Kailashahar to Arunachal Pradesh. The labourers were allegedly lured with promises of wages and benefits but later denied their lawful entitlements.

Family members have alleged that the children were subjected to ill-treatment and forced to live in inhuman conditions, causing severe mental distress. According to them, the youths and minors went missing on December 9, 2025, from the Kalishasan and Rangrung tea plantation areas under Rangrung Gram Panchayat when their family members were away at work.