New Delhi: The crisis of missing children and human trafficking has assumed the dimensions of a serious social and security challenge in the national capital. Official data shows that between 2015 and 2025, a total of 5,559 children aged from newborn to 18 years went missing in Delhi, and 695 of them remain untraced even after several years. The figures have surfaced despite the existence of specialised police units, digital tracking platforms and standard operating procedures.
According to ZIPNET records, 4,864 missing children were traced during this 11-year period, but hundreds of cases continue to remain unresolved. Experts say these numbers do not merely reflect statistics but represent the prolonged trauma, uncertainty and distress faced by thousands of families.
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An average of 63 people go missing every day
Overall missing-person data further underlines the gravity of the situation. During the same period, 2,55,432 people across all age groups were reported missing in Delhi. Of them, 2,01,455 were eventually traced, while 53,977 people are still missing. This means that an average of 63 people went missing every day in the capital over the last decade.
Child rights organisations point out that the persistence of such large numbers indicates that the roots of the problem run far deeper, and that policing alone cannot provide a complete solution.
Human trafficking emerges as the biggest risk
Police officials and social workers agree that not every missing child is a victim of trafficking. However, Delhi has increasingly become a major destination as well as a transit hub for organised human trafficking networks. Many minors are brought into the city from other states and later surface in missing-person records, making identification and recovery significantly more complex.
Despite a dedicated anti-human trafficking unit under the Crime Branch, traffickers continue to exploit poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness and fragile family structures to lure, deceive or coerce children into exploitative situations.
6,759 minors rescued in three years
The seriousness of the issue is evident from rescue data. Between April 1, 2023 and January 29, 2026, authorities rescued 6,759 trafficked minors in Delhi, including 2,134 girls and 3,281 boys. During the same period, 2,407 human trafficking cases were registered in the capital.
A large proportion of these children were brought to Delhi from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, often on false promises of employment, education or a better future.
A worrying national picture
Delhi’s situation mirrors a broader national crisis. Between April 2023 and January 2026, more than 1.25 lakh children were rescued from trafficking networks across India, and 56,459 cases were registered nationwide. Most of these children were neither runaways nor accidentally separated from their families, but victims of organised criminal networks operating through deception and intimidation.
SOP for missing children
Delhi Police follows a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in missing-children cases. This includes:
- Mandatory and immediate registration of cases involving minors
- Treating the first 48 hours as critical and initiating searches without delay
- Uploading details on ZIPNET within 24 hours
- Issuing nationwide alerts within 12 hours
In addition, border check-posts are alerted, notices are circulated at key locations, informers are activated, and, where required, information is shared through the media to speed up tracing efforts.
Accountability and incentives
Investigating officers are required to document every effort made in each case. Station House Officers review cases weekly, while senior officers conduct fortnightly reviews. To encourage recoveries, provisions exist for rewards and out-of-turn promotions for police personnel who successfully trace missing children.
How to report
Families can report missing children by calling 112 or 1090, visiting the nearest police station, or using police portals, mobile apps, WhatsApp and email. Authorities stress that there is no waiting period for reporting a missing child.
A stark warning
The ZIPNET data lays bare a harsh reality: despite technology, SOPs and manpower, the problem of missing children remains unresolved. For parents in Delhi, the figures serve as a serious alert, and for authorities, a reminder that the fight against human trafficking and disappearances demands sustained vigilance, stronger coordination and wide-ranging public awareness.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
