Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Police have traced 1,470 missing persons during a month-long statewide operation titled Operation Milap. The special drive was launched to locate missing individuals, bring them back to their families, and strengthen public confidence in policing, a press release said.

The operation was launched across the state on May 7 to review and investigate pending missing persons cases. According to police records, a total of 24,767 people have been reported missing in Gujarat since 2007.

“Although the special drive to trace missing persons has concluded, our efforts will not stop here. Police officers have been instructed to continue pursuing missing persons cases alongside their routine policing duties,” said G. S. Malik, Director General of Police, Gujarat.

He emphasized that tracing missing persons, particularly women and children, remains a key priority of the Gujarat Police as part of its broader commitment to protecting citizens and ensuring their safety and well-being.

“The operation was based on both technical and human intelligence inputs and involved a thorough review of old case records along with fresh field-level verification. Police teams examined digital records, social media activity, transport hubs, and shelter homes while also revisiting complainants and witnesses to gather fresh leads,” said Ajay Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police, CID Crime (Women Cell), Gujarat.

“Operation Milap has revealed important trends behind missing persons cases in Gujarat, with adolescent girls emerging as the most vulnerable group. During the special drive, police traced a large number of missing children and women, including several long-pending cases and recoveries from states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, and West Bengal,” the senior police officer said.

Of the 1,470 persons traced during the operation, 852 were women, 342 were men, 42 were minor boys, and 234 were minor girls. Among all police units, Surat City Police recorded the highest number of recoveries, tracing 341 missing persons.

“Analysis of recovered cases shows that romantic relationships and elopement were the leading reasons behind disappearances, particularly among girls aged 14 to 17 years. Family conflicts, including parental reprimand, educational setbacks, and domestic disputes, were also major contributing factors. Migration among labor families further complicated tracing efforts, often resulting in interstate movement,’’ an official added.

As part of the drive, police reopened and reviewed long-pending cases, including those registered as far back as 2007, resulting in the tracing of several missing persons whose whereabouts had remained unknown for years. DeshGujarat