Two Class 6 students from West Bengal's Malda were rescued after being lured by fake promises of K-pop stardom and modeling careers in South Korea via social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Two minor girls from Malda, West Bengal, were lured with false promises of K-pop stardom.
  • The suspects used Pinterest and a group named 'Demons' to groom the victims over a year.
  • The girls were instructed to travel via Bhutan to reach South Korea.
  • Police and an NGO successfully intercepted the girls on a bus near Siliguri.

In a chilling revelation of how social media grooming can escalate into potential human trafficking, police in West Bengal's Malda district have successfully rescued two minor girls. Both students of Class 6, the girls had fled their homes after falling prey to a sophisticated online deception promising them glamorous careers as K-pop idols and models in South Korea.

The Anatomy of a Digital Grooming Scheme

Investigations reveal that the perpetrators had been meticulously grooming the children for nearly a year. Using a fake persona named 'Dighi Sarkar' on platforms like Pinterest, the accused built a deep sense of trust. The girls were even inducted into an online group titled 'Demons', where they were coached in Korean language and culture—a tactic clearly designed to psychologically prepare them for a life abroad under the control of traffickers.

A Planned Escape Toward the Border

The conspiracy involved a multi-country route; the victims were led to believe they would first travel to Bhutan before being flown to South Korea. Following a missing persons report by the families, law enforcement launched a high-stakes operation. Acting on intelligence that the girls had boarded a bus toward Siliguri, police intercepted them in the Naukaghat area. The timely intervention by the police and a local NGO prevented the minors from reaching the international border.

Investigating the Global Link

The scale of this operation has prompted authorities to investigate whether this is an isolated incident or part of a larger, organized human trafficking syndicate targeting minors through entertainment-based lures. Digital forensic experts are currently analyzing the 'Demons' group and other social media trails to identify the mastermind behind this predatory scheme. Local leaders have lauded the police for their swift action in averting what could have been a catastrophic tragedy.