In a major crackdown, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested 44 persons for their alleged involvement in human trafficking, following searches across 10 States and Union Territories in close coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and local police.
While 21 accused were arrested in Tripura and 10 in Karnataka, five were picked up from Assam, three from West Bengal, two from Tamil Nadu and one each from Puducherry, Telangana and Haryana. “The operation aimed at dismantling human trafficking support networks involved in the infiltration and settlement of illegal migrants across the Indo-Bangladesh border into India,” said the agency.
The raids began in the early hours in connection with four human trafficking cases registered by the NIA’s branches in Guwahati, Chennai, Bengaluru and Jaipur. The searches were carried out at 55 locations in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry.
An initial case was arrested by the Assam police’s Special Task Force on September 9. It pertained to a human trafficking network responsible for the infiltration and settlement of illegal migrants across the Indo-Bangladesh border into India, including those of Rohingya origin.
“The operations of this network extended to various parts of the country, including regions along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Recognising the international and inter-State linkages of the case and its complexity, the NIA formally took charge of the investigations on October 6, 2023. at the NIA police station in Guwahati,” the agency said.
According to the NIA, its investigations in the case revealed that different modules of the human trafficking network were spread over various States, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. Subsequently, based on the findings, it registered three new cases.
During the searches, the agency seized digital devices, such as mobile phones, SIM cards, and pen drives; a large number of identity-related documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, suspected to be forged; over ₹20 lakh in Indian currency; and $4,550. “Subsequent to today’s operations, a total of 44 operatives have been apprehended and arrested by the NIA,” it said.
The arrested accused persons will be presented before the respective jurisdictional courts. “Further investigations into the activities and modus operandi of these human trafficking networks would continue to dismantle the entire ecosystem of these networks,” said the agency.
