Nepal Police is planning to set up a separate human trafficking and transportation control bureau.

The Himalayan Times quoted Central Police Spokesperson DIG Pushkar Karki saying that the bureau would be formed as part of the security body’s efforts to fight human trafficking, which had become a growing problem in the country. The plan also ensures trafficking victims greater access to services through capacity building of the law enforcement agency. It is the second largest criminal industry after drug trafficking in the world.

The latest US State Department 2017 Trafficking in Person report states that Nepal is a major source, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. It also said that Nepali men women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour in Nepal, India, the Middle East, Asia, United States and Sub Saharan Africa in construction, mines, factories, domestic work, begging and the adult entertainment industry.

An 84-point Home Administration Reform Roadmap made public by Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma has also attached high priority to anti-human trafficking measures. As per the roadmap, the Ministry of Home Affairs is planning to depute police attachés to Nepali embassies in labour destinations with a high number of Nepali migrant workers.

Arrangements are being made to depute police attachés in the embassies abroad, mainly the Gulf countries, to facilitate security of Nepali migrant workers, coordinate investigation of charges levelled against Nepalis hiding abroad and prevent people from being trafficked in the name of foreign employment. Scores of suspects in connection with human trafficking are still living in foreign countries. The provision of a police attaché is expected to help arrest of traffickers.

“As many as 6,100 women and children were reportedly trafficked from the country during fiscal 2015-16, a report shows. The ‘Trafficking in persons’ National Report 2015/16 released by the National Human Rights Commission showed that 98 per cent of the trafficking victims were women,” reports The Himalayan Times.