13 Bangladesh nationals in NIA net for trafficking

The National Investigation Agency on Monday filed a charge sheet before a special court in Bengaluru against 13 Bangladeshi nationals for their alleged involvement in trafficking women and children from the neighboring country after illegally crossing over to India, an official said.

Rafik, Sobuj Shaik, Mohammed Rafikdul Islam Ridoy, Rakibul Islam, Mohammed Babu Molla, Mohammed Alami Hossein, Mohammed Dalim, Hossain Azim, Mohammed Jamal, Enamul Haque Shuzan, Mohammed Ruhul Amin, Riday Islam, and Mohammed Milon Biswas — all Bangladeshi nationals — have been charged with sections of the IPC, the Foreigners Act, and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the NIA official said.

The case was registered in June in Bengaluru against the 13 accused, based on a raid conducted by the police at a rented house where seven women and one child of Bangladeshi nationality were rescued from the custody of four human traffickers, a NIA official said.

The NIA took over the case and found that the 13 charge-sheeted accused had illegally crossed over to India from Bangladesh, the official of the premier investigation agency said. They were luring women from Bangladesh and trafficking them to India with the promise of jobs, the NIA official added.

The women were then confined in rented accommodations and subjected to sexual exploitation, the official said. The accused had also forged identity cards and used these forged documents to obtain Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN card among others for themselves and their victims, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in this case is on, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the government have directed the state police to maintain a strict vigil on the

illegal immigrants and the overstayed foreign nationals, and action should be taken against those involved in anti-social and anti-national activities, said Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday.

Addressing a press conference, after taking part at a one day state-level senior Police Officers Conference here, the minister said, "A direction had been issued to the police to maintain a separate register on the foreign nationals, in their respective police stations, and maintain a strict vigil on their activities".