In a major breakthrough, the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested two key members of an international racket allegedly involved in human trafficking from Bangladesh and Myanmar to European, Gulf and South-east Asian countries on Indian identities, said UP police additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar here on Thursday.
He said the arrested duo were identified as Sameer Mandal, 45, of 24 Pargana district, West Bengal, and Vikram Singh of Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He said Mandal was arrested from his hideout in West Bengal, while Vikram Singh was arrested from his hideout in Ghaziabad. The ADG said the questioning of the two accused revealed that they were part of an international network of human traffickers operating from South Africa and London.
He said Sameer Mandal was in direct contact with a Bangladeshi national Saeed, who is now settled in South Africa, and got Bangladeshi contacts from him of those interested in travelling to different countries for employment and other works. Vikram Singh used to help Sameer Mandal through his contact one Gurpreet Singh based in London, he added.
Another ATS official said Sameer Mandal is in grains transportation business which is spread from West Bengal to Bangladesh. He said Mandal is involved in human trafficking racket in the garb of his transportation business. He was in touch with Mithun Mandal, who along with three others, was arrested in Varanasi on October 26 in the same case. He said Mithun’s brother Ratan Mandal also ran a tour and travel agency in West Bengal. Along with Mithun Mandal, three others identified as Bangladeshi nationals Shaoan Ahmed, 25, Mominur Islam, 24, and Mehndi Hasan, 23, were arrested earlier.
{{/usCountry}}Another ATS official said Sameer Mandal is in grains transportation business which is spread from West Bengal to Bangladesh. He said Mandal is involved in human trafficking racket in the garb of his transportation business. He was in touch with Mithun Mandal, who along with three others, was arrested in Varanasi on October 26 in the same case. He said Mithun’s brother Ratan Mandal also ran a tour and travel agency in West Bengal. Along with Mithun Mandal, three others identified as Bangladeshi nationals Shaoan Ahmed, 25, Mominur Islam, 24, and Mehndi Hasan, 23, were arrested earlier.
{{/usCountry}}The official said Sameer also revealed that he used to keep illegal Bangladeshi immigrants at his brother Subash Mandal’s house for some time till their Indian documents were prepared. He said one Bangladeshi national Jahangir helped them making illegal immigrants cross over to India and got their Indian documents prepared through his other contacts in West Bengal.
He said the traffickers helped Bangladeshi national get Hindu names and Indian passports by preparing their fake address proofs like Aadhaar and voter ID cards. He said the Bangladeshi nationals were later sent to different countries as Indian nationals.
He said the custody remand of all accused would be sought from the competent court to interrogate them further to extract details about other people involved in this international human trafficking racket.