When 14-year-old Sabina met Keres, she thought she’d found a true friend.

Keres had a matronly quality about her that made Sabina feel seen and loved. The two talked often and grew closer as time passed. Finally, Keres invited Sabina and her cousin to go on an innocent trip with her.

After spending so much time getting to know her, the children trusted Keres completely and eagerly accepted her invitation. Hours into their journey, however, Keres’ demeanor began to change.

As they approached the Nepalese border, Keres became agitated. She didn’t like the fact that they would have to cross checkpoints to leave the country and seemed put out by the level of security.

After making several phone calls, Keres did something odd: she dropped Sabina and her cousin off near the border and drove away, claiming that she was going to get them some food.

But she never returned.

Instead, the children were picked up by a man and a woman in a rickshaw. This pair was far less kind and patient than Keres was. 

They instructed the children to lie if they were stopped at the border and claim that the adults were their aunt and uncle. The kids had no choice in the matter anymore: if they refused to cooperate with the ruse, the man said he’d beat them.

Fortunately, our border agents, working with Nepal border security to routinely check travelers for trafficking situations, saw through the lie.

The children were stopped and separated from the traffickers. As the investigation progressed, the truth came out: the kids had been trafficked by someone from back home. 

Keres was the broker, a skilled groomer who manipulated children into trusting her. The couple that tried to take Sabina and her cousin across the border would likely have sold the children into a brothel or forced labor on the other side.

Thankfully, the children never made it that far. After receiving vital education from our agents about how to spot traffickers and stay safe, Sabina and her cousin were returned home safely and reunited with their families, where they remain free to this day.