SRINAGAR: As many as 988 people who moved to foreign countries are believed to be living in conditions resembling cyber slavery, while 66 human trafficking cases have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir, including 54 in the Kashmir zone and 12 in the Jammu zone, SSP Crime Jammu and Kashmir Mohammad Anwar-ul-Haq said on Monday.
He clarified, however, that not all those who travelled abroad were necessarily victims of slavery, as some may have gone voluntarily.
Anwar-ul-Haq was speaking on the sidelines of a Union Territory-level conference on anti-human trafficking organised by the Crime Branch in Srinagar.
He said the conference, held on the directions of Police Headquarters, focused on various aspects of human trafficking, particularly the emerging issue of cyber slavery.
Representatives from different government departments, college students, judicial officers from the High Courts, Social Welfare Department officials and nodal officers of the Anti-Human Trafficking Units of J&K Police participated in the event.
An expert at the conference warned people against accepting overseas employment offers without verifying their authenticity, saying financial difficulties could make people vulnerable to fraudulent promises of jobs and other benefits.
The expert said people sometimes accepted appointment letters or job offers received through email without checking the credentials of the employers or the terms of employment.
The expert stressed the need to verify such offers and identify any hidden interests or risks of exploitation before accepting them.
Highlighting the long-term consequences of trafficking, the expert said victims could face severe psychological trauma even after being rescued. The expert called for greater public awareness to prevent people from falling prey to trafficking networks.
