Lathor: Police rescued 22 migrant workers from the Lathor bus stand in Bolangir district Monday and arrested a labour agent in connection with their illegal trafficking.
The accused, identified as Saroj Parabhue of Pipalbahal village under Lathor police limits, was produced in the Patnagarh court, police said.
According to police, the agent had brought together 22 workers – 10 women, nine men and three children- from Padhel village under Patnagarh police limits, Gerda village under Larambha police limits, and Khairpali village under Padampur police limits in neighbouring Bargarh district.
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The agent had assembled them at Jogimunda with plans to traffic them to Siddipet in Telangana.
The agent brought the workers in a Nuapada-bound private passenger bus, Tarini from Bolangir to Lathor, from where he planned to send them onward by train.
Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid at the bus stand and took the workers to the police station for questioning.
During interrogation, the workers named Saroj as the agent involved. Police later raided Pipalbahal village and arrested the accused.
The rescued workers have since been sent back to their respective homes, said Lathor police station officer-in-charge Ramakant Sahu. A case has been registered.