Agartala, June 23 (IANS): The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has rescued 44 children from trains in Assam while being trafficked and arrested 485 persons for various crimes last month, a release said here on Thursday.

The RPF personnel also recovered and seized stolen properties and contraband goods worth Rs 5.36 lakh in May.

"Forty-four children were rescued from trains in Assam last month while being trafficking to other regions. These children were later handed over to their parents and local NGOs," NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a release.

He said over 485 persons were arrested during May by the RPF for various crimes and handed them over to Government Railway Police (GRP) for prosecution.

The release said the crimes on trains and at railway stations for which they were arrested included trafficking of children, theft, carrying smuggled goods, injecting drugs to innocent railway passenger and looting their belongings, illegal hawking on trains and at stations, touting, stopping the trains by pulling alarm chain and unauthorised entry into the ladies compartments.

Another NFR official said that crimes aboard trains and at railway stations are increasing in the northeastern region.

"Earlier, there were almost zero crimes in trains and railway stations in the northeastern states. With the increase of crimes, the RPF stepped up their vigilance in the railway stations and running trains," the official said.