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NIA busts 5 human trafficking modules in 5 states; 44 held
Premises in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry were raided
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at 55 locations in 10 states, apprehending 44 person for alleged human trafficking, officials said.
They added that the agency busted five modules across five states. Premises in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry were raided.
The NIA, in co-ordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police forces, conducted an operation across states on Wednesday,” an official spokesperson said.
The operation was aimed at dismantling illegal human trafficking support networks involved in infiltration and settlement of illegal migrants across the Indo-Bangladesh border, the spokesperson added.
The raids were carried after four human trafficking cases were registered at the NIA branches in Guwahati, Chennai, Bangalore and Jaipur,
Coordinated raids were executed in the early morning hours of Wednesday as part of the ongoing operation. During searches, the NIA recovered digital devices, such as mobile phones, SIM cards and pen drives. Seizures included a significant number of identity-related documents, including Aadhar cards and Pan Cards, suspected to be forged, the spokesperson said.
He added that ₹20 lakh and some foreign currency was also recovered.
“A total of 44 have been arrested by the NIA, including 21 in Tripura, 10 in Karnataka, five in Assam, three in West Bengal, two in Tamil Nadu and one each in Puducherry , Telangana, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
At Jammu, NIA sleuths detained a Rohingya, identified as Zaffar Alam from Bhatindi area with suspected terror links in connection with Manipur improvised explosive blast case.
SIA searches in Kashmir, Delhi in terror-funding case
Officials said the raids were aimed at dismantling the terror ecosystem in J&K. A total of 22 houses and offices, 18 in Srinagar, one each in Anantnag and Pulwama and two in Delhi were searched.
“Incriminating materials such as bank documents, mobile phones, sim cards and passports were seized which will be analysed,” a police spokesperson said, adding that the case pertains to raising and laundering of illegal proceeds of crime by the accused persons.
The spokesperson said the case was registered at the SIA police station in Kashmir.
