Trafficking of children: UK, US teams visit City

Teams from the UK and the US consulates visited the City on Tuesday and met the local police in connection with the trafficking of children to the US.

The teams met senior police officers following the arrest of 16 persons by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday in connection with illegally sending children to the US. The City police are in touch with their counterparts in the UK and the US, said Additional Commissioner of Police (East) P Harishekaran.

He, however, said it was too early to say anything about the specific objectives of the suspects. The police are still interrogating them and are likely to arrest five more persons who are at large, Harishekaran said.

The police have recorded the statements of the arrested and seized documents, laptops and other electronic gadgets. Police are yet to retrieve the data and verify the same, he said.

The SIT had conducted simultaneous raids and had arrested 16 persons in connection with the trafficking of children to the US. The arrested had created fake parents for procuring passports and visas. They claimed that they had ‘exported’ 32 children so far.