Guwahati: In a major success in the fight against human trafficking, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) rescued 56 young women and arrested two suspected traffickers from the New Jalpaiguri – Patna Capital Express on the night of 22nd July, 2025, at New Jalpaiguri railway station.

The women, aged between 18 and 31 years, belonged to the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar in West Bengal. They were reportedly lured with false promises of employment in a company based in Bengaluru, but were instead being transported to Bihar, raising serious suspicions of trafficking.

Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR through a press statement said that the alert RPF personnel, during routine checks, noticed a large group of young women travelling together without valid tickets. Instead, coach and berth numbers were stamped on their hands, a method often associated with illegal trafficking networks. Upon inquiry, the two escorts – a man and a woman – gave contradictory statements and failed to provide valid documents regarding the purpose of travel or job offers.

Both suspects were immediately taken into custody and handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP). A joint investigation by GRP and RPF is currently underway, with a strong focus on uncovering potential human trafficking networks operating in the region.

All rescued women were provided with immediate support and later safely reunited with their families. Additionally, from January to 22nd July, 2025, the RPF of NFR has apprehended four human traffickers and successfully rescued six minor boys and 56 women in multiple operations, reflecting its unwavering commitment to safeguarding vulnerable passengers and curbing trafficking activities on the railway network.

The RPF of NFR remains vigilant and continues its efforts to ensure the safety and security of passengers, especially women and children, across the Northeast Frontier Railway zone.