Arunachal: Itanagar police bust interstate sex trafficking ring involving minors, arrests 15 accused persons

Itanagar Police on May 10 dismantled an interstate sex trafficking ring that exploited minors. The rescue mission led to the liberation of four minor girls and the apprehension of 15 accused individuals, including traffickers, pimps, and sexual assailants.

Acting on credible intelligence, the Capital Police conducted a raid at a suspected brothel in Chimpu, Itanagar. The alleged brothel, operated by Techi Rina (also known as Ania) and Jamlo Tagung, was found to be involved in the trafficking and exploitation of minor girls. During the operation, three minor girls—Miss A, Miss B, and Miss X—were rescued. Miss A and Miss B disclosed that they had been trafficked from Dhemaji, Assam, by Sisters Pushpanjali Mili (Tutu Mili) and Purnima Mili. These girls were forced into prostitution by the traffickers.

The Victims:
Miss A (15 years old): Trafficked to Itanagar in March 2023 when she was 14 years old.
Miss B (10 years old): Trafficked sometime in 2022 when she was 8 years old.
Miss C (15 years old): Trafficked in 2020 when she was 11 years old.
Miss D (12 years old): Also trafficked in 2020 but managed to escape temporarily before being brought back in 2022.

All four traffickers—Pushpanjali Mili, Purnima Mili, Techi Ania, and Jamlo Tagung—have been arrested and are currently in police custody. The rescued minor girls are receiving medical and mental health care at Shelter Homes.

The investigation revealed that Pushpanjali Mili and Purnima Mili operated a beauty parlor named “Pompi and Rosni Beauty Parlor” in Vivek Vihar, Itanagar. They lured minor girls from impoverished families in Dhemaji, Assam, promising them jobs in Itanagar. Once in Itanagar, the traffickers used their network of pimps, including Techi Ania, Jamlo Tagung, Pushpa Mandal, and Laxmi Gorh, to find customers interested in having sex with the minor victims. The pimps would share photos of the girls via WhatsApp, negotiate rates, and arrange meetings. The customers would then sexually assault the girls, pay the pimps and leave.

The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Immoral Trafficking Act.