Assam: Human Trafficking Racket Busted; 5 Foreigners Charge-Sheeted

GUWAHATI: A charge-sheet has been filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against 24 accused, including five from Bangladesh and Myanmar, in a case pertaining to human trafficking in Assam, an official said on Tuesday.

A spokesperson of the federal agency stated that the charge-sheet was filed in a special NIA court in Guwahati against the operatives of international syndicates involved in trafficking Bangladeshi national and Myanmar's Rohingya people into India using forged documents.

The official informed that the accused included four from Bangladesh and one from Myanmar. They were charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Foreigners Act and the Passport (Entry into India) Act and Rules.

Initially, as many as 29 individuals were apprehended by the NIA in massive raids carried out in 39 locations across Tripura, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal in coordination with the state police agencies in November last year.

A large number of incriminating documents, forged Indian identity documents, bank documents and digital devices were confiscated during the raids.

This was followed by the arrest of four more accused from Tripura in December, pushing the tally to 33.

It is worth mentioning that the Assam police had initially lodged the case under the Passport Act against some anti-social elements.

The cops registered the case based on credible information that organised human trafficking syndicates were involved in trafficking Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya people into India with forged documents for carrying out anti-India activities.

The NIA took over the case on October 6.

The spokesperson said that upon investigation, it was found that international human trafficking syndicates were actively operating along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal and other areas.

The official revealed that these syndicates were trafficking Rohingya people and Bangladeshi nationals on a regular basis and were also involved in preparing forged Indian identity documents with the intention of helping them to settle in various parts of the country.

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