PALIYA (INDIA), Sept 8 - Trafficking of Nepalese women and children into India, especially from the western districts, has increased significantly in recent days due to lax security at border checkpoints.

A large number of women and children are being trafficked into India from checkpoints west of Butwal, representatives of several Indian and Nepalese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and security officials stated during an interaction on 'controlling cross-border human trafficking' held at Paliya, India on Tuesday. An Indian NGO working against human trafficking in the region organized the program.

Speaking at the program M Shimraya, Director of CARITAS-India, an International NGO, stated that more than 10,000 women and children form Nepal are trafficked into India every year.

Stating that traffickers mainly use land routes, Shimraya appealed to border security authorities in both countries to pay "especial attention" to check the problem. Likewise, other speakers stated that internal conflict, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment in Nepal were the root causes of the problem.

Representatives of police, border security authorities and NGOs from both countries attended the program. Also speaking at the program, Nepal's Senior Superintendent of Police Lok Bahadur Karki, opined that human trafficking has increased in recent times due to lax security at some of the checkpoints caused by the internal conflict in Nepal.

4 girls go missing in a week

Meanwhile a report of Nuwakot said four girls of Samundrataar and Rautbeshi VDCs in the eastern part of the district have gone missing in the last one week.

Those missing include Toksani Tamang and Aaita Kumari Tamang (both 18), and Sanumaya Tamang of Samundrataar VDC, and Sani Tam-ang of Rautbeshi-8 (both 16).

Locals said the girls could have been taken by Kali Tamang of Samundrataar-5, who has been living in Mumbai and other cities of India recently, with an intention to sell them to brothels in India. They also said that such agents have been frequently visiting villages lately. According to police, they sent a police inspector to Kathmandu as there were chances of hiding the girls in the capital.