Guwahati, Dec 11 (IANS): The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) successfully rescued nine minors and one infant from different stations under NFR this week, officials said on Saturday.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer, Sabyasachi De informed that a number of drives and checks were conducted from Tuesday to Thursday over NFR where those 10 persons were rescued. They were later handed over to respective Childline NGOs for their safe custody and further course of action.

On Tuesday, the RPF of Guwahati jointly with the Centre for Development Initiative, Guwahati, conducted a check at the Guwahati railway station.

During the check, they rescued two runaway minor boys. In a drive conducted on the same day at Katihar railway station, the RPF of Katihar rescued three runaway minor boys. All the rescued minors were handed over to Railway Childline at Guwahati and Katihar respectively for safe custody and further course of action as per norms.

Meanwhile, in another incident on Wednesday, the RPF escort party of Dibrugarh conducted a routine check at Avadh Assam Express where they rescued one infant aged nearly three- months-old without parents or guardians. Later, the infant was shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital at Dibrugarh under the escort of RPF and Government Railway Police and a representative of Childline at Dibrugarh.

De said that in an incident on Thursday, the RPF staff of Rangapani while checking the Malda Town-New Jalpaiguri Express at Chatterhat station rescued one runaway minor boy and girl. Later, the rescued minors were handed over to Railway Childline at New Jalpaiguri for safe custody and further course of action.

"RPF train escort parties and staff deployed at stations have been alerted and sensitised to be vigilant and on the lookout for suspected persons involved in human trafficking as well as the movement of children in a suspicious manner, traveling alone, without a proper guardian," the officer added.