Jammu, 20 October (H.S.): The SSP Crime Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Anwar-ul-Haq, today said that as many as 988 people had moved to foreign countries and were 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.

Speaking on the sidelines of a one-day Union Territory-level conference on anti-human trafficking at Tagore Hall in Srinagar, Anwar-ul-Haq said the conference focused on different aspects of human trafficking, including cyber slavery.

However, he clarified that not all those who had moved abroad were necessarily victims of slavery, adding that some might have travelled willingly. As per the directions of Police Headquarters, the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir has organised this conference, he said, adding that representatives from different 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 were participating.

He said different aspects of human trafficking and the emerging issue of cyber slavery were being discussed during the event, describing it as an interactive conference.

The inaugural session was chaired by the IGP Crime Branch, and the conference was scheduled to conclude at 5 pm.

An expert speaking at the conference described human trafficking as a global problem in which people were exploited and reduced to commodities for purchase and sale. Human trafficking is a heinous crime. It is a global crime. We need to be very careful, the expert said, cautioning people against blindly accepting offers of jobs or other benefits from foreign countries.

The expert said people, particularly those facing financial difficulties, could be tempted to accept overseas job offers after receiving an appointment letter or email without properly verifying the offer. Maybe our circumstances are such that we need money. So we blindly go for accepting those offers. Remember, no one can give anything for free, the expert said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar