Agartala: Twenty-four youngsters from Tripura’s Unakoti district, who had gone missing from the tea garden belt of Kailashahar, were rescued from Arunachal Pradesh following a coordinated operation by Tripura Police and the Siang district police, officials said on Wednesday.

The youths were traced to the Boleng area of Arunachal Pradesh through mobile phone tracking, Superintendent of Police of Unakoti district, Sudhambhika R, told reporters.

She said an FIR was registered immediately after the families lodged complaints, and an investigation was launched without delay.

During the probe, the location of the missing persons was traced to Arunachal Pradesh.

The Unakoti district police established contact with the Siang district police, while the Director General of Police, Tripura, also spoke to senior officials of Arunachal Pradesh Police to ensure close coordination.

Based on the information shared, Arunachal Pradesh Police conducted a rescue operation and recovered all the youths safely, the SP said.

She added that all the rescued individuals are currently in the safe custody of Arunachal Pradesh Police.

A police team from Unakoti district will leave for Arunachal Pradesh on December 26 to bring them back to Tripura.

Local sources said the group, which includes seven minors, allegedly fell victim to a trafficking racket. Family members claimed that the youths were lured with false promises of employment and better livelihood opportunities outside the state.

According to the families, the victims were promised a monthly salary of Rs 14,000 along with rent-free accommodation. Despite initial objections from their relatives, they agreed to the offer and left Tripura without knowing the exact location of their workplace.

It reportedly took nearly three days for them to reach the destination.

After reaching Arunachal Pradesh, the youths were allegedly forced to work in orange orchards, where they were made to pluck oranges throughout the day.

The families alleged that the assurances given by the recruiters turned out to be false and that the youths were subjected to abuse when they protested against the working conditions.

Following information received from the victims about their plight, the families approached the police, leading to the rescue operation.

While police have not yet disclosed further details, sources said the youths were transported from Tripura in a lorry.

Investigators are also trying to identify and track local contacts linked to the employment racket.

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