Morigaon, Jan 11 (PTI) A total of 11 youths from Assam were rescued from Andhra Pradesh where they were allegedly kept in confinement by traffickers, police said on Tuesday.

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The youths from Morigaon district who were on their way to Chennai and sold to a trafficking network have been rescued in a joint effort by the police forces of the two states.

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According to a senior police officer, the youngsters of Borchal village under Lahorighat police station had left for Chennai by train last week in search of jobs.

"However, they were trapped by some people and sold to a trafficking network in Andhra Pradesh while they were going to Chennai. They were kept in confinement at an island in the Krishna river and forcibly engaged in fishing," the police officer said.

One of them, somehow, managed to contact his family members who got in touch with a local journalist, Aftab Ahmed, the police officer told PTI.

"Ahmed immediately contacted Morigaon Superintendent of Police Aparna N and local Congress MP Pradyut Borodoloi. The police swung into action and approached their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh," she said.

The police carried out an operation and rescued all the 11 people on Sunday.

"After completing necessary legal formalities, the youths are now returning home,” she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)