The Uttar Pradesh police will launch an operation to trace the state's missing girls, mostly those who fled their home in search of greener pastures but landed up in brothels.

"These girls belong to lower and middle class families. Fleeing their homes, they end up in brothels where they are sold by their boyfriends or others," Senior Superintendent of Police G K Goswami said.

Named 'Operation Talash', the operation will trace missing girls from each area of the state and all records for this purpose were being compiled.

"The police was well aware that girls were being sold, which of late has become a lucrative business," he said. "We are also setting up a cell, which would specifically deal with cases of missing girls and women. Women officers will be posted to it since they can better understand the problem these girls faced," Goswami said.