A total of 515 missing children were traced and rescued during the Operation Smile II conducted in and outside the State.
While 300 children were rescued from within the State, 185 were rescued from outside the State, informed Crime Branch Special DG Bijay Kumar Sharma.
The State Crime Branch undertook a month-long Operation Smile II to rescue missing children last month. Ten officials from the Odisha State Child Protection Society and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) had undergone training organised by the Crime Branch for the purpose.
According to sources, 1, 347 children were estimated to be missing from the State.
The Operation Smile II was conducted in two phases. The first phase was held from January 1 to 14 focusing on the children missing inside the State while the second phase was conducted from January 15 to 31 tracing children outside the State. For the second phase, teams were sent to different States and big cities.