Gandhinagar: Gujarat Police has traced 1,470 missing persons, including a large number of women and children, during the month-long statewide drive "Operation Milap", officials said on Wednesday.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.According to state police, of the 1,470 persons traced during the drive, 852 were women, 342 were men, 234 were minor girls and 42 were minor boys. Surat City Police recorded the highest number of recoveries, tracing 341 missing persons.Newly appointed Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) GS Malik said that “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,”According to Additional Director General of Police (CID Crime-Women Cell) Ajay Choudhary, “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,”Police said the operation also led to the resolution of several long-pending cases, including some dating back to 2007. Missing persons were traced not only within Gujarat but also in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and West Bengal.An analysis of recovered cases revealed that romantic relationships and elopement were among the leading causes behind disappearances, particularly among girls aged 14 to 17 years. Family disputes, parental reprimand, academic setbacks and labour-related migration were also identified as significant contributing factors.Officials attributed the success of Operation Milap to intensive field investigations, mobile phone analysis, interstate coordination and family counselling. The initiative forms part of Gujarat Police's broader citizen-centric policing strategy focused on women's safety, child protection and public security.It may be mentioned here that the Gujarat Police have been pursuing a citizen-centric policing approach focused on women's safety, protection of children and vulnerable persons, action against narcotics networks, identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, and matters concerning national security. Operation Milap formed a key part of the process.