In yet another success in its fight against human traffickers operating across the country, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested a key conspirator in a case relating to the trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas through the north-eastern borders from Tripura.

A resident of Tripura, Jalil Miah has been arrested by NIA’s team.

As per NIA sources, in February, a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh was declared for information leading to the arrest of Jalil, who had been absconding in the case, in addition to nine others.

“Thirty-three persons were arrested earlier in a case, which NIA had taken over from Assam Special Task Force (STF), that was originally registered an FIR on 22nd March 2023 under various sections of IPC and Passport Act 1967. NIA has so far charge sheeted 24 accused.

Investigations have revealed that Jalil was one of the main conspirators in the human trafficking racket and a close associate of charge-sheeted accused Jiban Rudra Pal @ Jibon @ 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 8th November 2023, in which 29 accused were arrested, electronic devices and other incriminating documents seized from his residence had pointed to his complicity”, said the NIA source.

He said that pan India searches conducted by NIA in November 2023 had 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 had led to the arrest of another four 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, and provided fake documents and forced into labour”, he told this publication.

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

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