SHILLONG, Oct 28 (NNN): Meghalaya Police have unearthed a major human trafficking network that lured young girls into traveling to other states under the pretext of marriage, only to be sold off.

Three individuals, including the kingpin of the gang, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Superintendent of Police of Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, V Rathore said a case was registered in June 2025 after a girl went missing in the Byrnihat area.

During investigation, it was found that the girl was in Rajasthan and had been sold and married to an unknown person in lieu of Rs. 3 lakh. The girl was rescued with the help of Rajasthan Police and brought back to Meghalaya.

Further investigation revealed that the accused, Rajesh Hinge, Md Khalil Ali, and Monika, were involved in the human trafficking network, the police officer said. They befriended their targets on social media platforms, lured them into traveling to other states, and then sold them off. The accused have sold at least five girls from Assam and one girl from Tripura in the last two years, he added.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya police then appealed to parents and children to be aware of this modus operandi and to be cautious while interacting with people on social media.

The investigation revealed a common pattern in such cases, where the targets are befriended on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. After chats and calls for some time, they are lured into traveling to other places such as Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan on the pretext of marriage or tourism, and then sold off.

The police have also advised that children should remain alert and inform their parents if any such situation arises. They should be careful online, as the same tactics may be used to commit other crimes like cyber fraud, UPI fraud, or blackmailing. People are also cautioned against installing unknown applications or clicking suspicious links, as their mobile phones and computers may be compromised.