NIA arrests main suspect in Bangladeshis and Rohingyas trafficking into India
- In Reports
- 05:35 PM, May 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
An official statement confirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Jalil Miah, a resident of Tripura, for his involvement in the trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India through the north-eastern borders.
Jalil Miah, who was wanted by the NIA, was arrested by their team. The NIA had previously declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to Jalil's arrest, along with nine others involved in the case.
According to NIA investigations, a significant number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are being trafficked into India each month through the porous stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border.
A statement issued by the probe agency highlighted that these individuals are then transported to various parts of the country, where they are provided with fake documents and coerced into forced labour.
The NIA announced another breakthrough in its efforts to combat human trafficking across the nation, with the arrest of a key conspirator in a case related to the trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas through the northeastern borders.
The NIA took over the case from the Assam Special Task Force (STF), which initially filed an FIR on March 22, 2023, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Passport Act 1967.
Thirty-three individuals were arrested earlier in connection with the case, and the NIA has since charged 24 of them.
Investigations have revealed that Jalil was a key conspirator in the human trafficking racket and had close ties with chargesheeted accused Jiban Rudra Pal, also known as Jibon or Suman. Additionally, he was closely associated with two other absconders, Juj Miah and Shanto, all from Tripura, according to the NIA.
Despite escaping during the initial operation on November 8, 2023, during which 29 individuals were arrested, Jalil's involvement was confirmed through electronic devices and other incriminating documents seized from his residence, the NIA stated.
In November 2023, pan India searches conducted by the NIA resulted in the seizure of a significant amount of incriminating data, including digital devices, along with foreign currency (Bangladeshi Taka and US Dollar), Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, etc.
According to the NIA, a subsequent crackdown on December 29 last year resulted in the arrest of another four individuals involved in the case, exposing a vast network of human traffickers.
The NIA stated, "The manhunt for tracking the other absconders is continuing and investigations are in progress to connect the missing links in the elaborate racket."
In a related development, the NIA conducted a coordinated operation with state police forces and central intelligence agencies across all locations on Monday as part of its probe into an international human trafficking and cyber fraud racket.
During these searches, state police forces arrested five individuals. The youths were allegedly coerced into working in fake call centres at Golden Triangle SEZ, Laos, and Cambodia, among other locations, as part of the racket, which was primarily controlled and operated by foreign nationals.
They were also allegedly forced into participating in illegal online activities such as credit card fraud, cryptocurrency investments using fake applications, honey trapping, etc., by the accused individuals and other members of the human trafficking syndicate.
Image source: India today
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