Assam: Key conspirator in trafficking of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas arrested

STF case yields results under NIA

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: A case (12/2023), originally filed by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Assam Police and later taken over by the NIA, has yielded results in the form of arrests and the issuance of charge sheets. The case relates to the trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas through the northeastern states, including Assam.

The initial case (FIR No. 12/2023) filed on September 9, 2023, was registered by the Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF), and 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. 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, by registering a case (RC 01/2023/NIA/GUW) at the NIA Police Station in Guwahati. The NIA on Tuesday arrested a key conspirator in a case relating to the trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas through the north-eastern borders. A resident of the north-eastern state of Tripura, Jalil Miah, has been arrested by the NIA’s team. NIA had, in February, declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Jalil, who had been absconding in the case, in addition to nine others.

Thirty-three people were arrested earlier in the case. The NIA has so far issued charge sheets to 24 accused.

Investigations have revealed that Jalil was one of the main conspirators in the human trafficking racket and a close associate of the accused, Jiban Rudra Pal, alias Jibon, alias Suman. He was also closely associated with two other absconders, Juj Miah and Shanto, all hailing from Tripura. Though Jalil had managed to escape during the initial operation on November 8, 2023, in which 29 accused were arrested, electronic devices and other incriminating documents seized from his residence pointed to his complicity.

Pan-India searches conducted by the NIA in November 2023 led to the seizure of a whole lot of incriminating data, including digital devices along with foreign currency (Bangladeshi Taka and US Dollar), Aadhar Cards, PAN Cards, etc. A subsequent crackdown on December 29 last year led to the arrest of four other accused in the case, exposing a massive network of human traffickers.

As per NIA investigations, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are being trafficked to India every month through the porous stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border. They are further transported to different parts of the country, provided fake documents, and forced into labour.

The manhunt for tracking the other absconders is continuing, and investigations are in progress to connect the missing links in the elaborate racket.

Also Read: Three Bangladeshi women arrested at Agartala railway station (sentinelassam.com)

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