Assam human trafficking case: NIA chargesheets 4 Bangladeshis, one Rohingya among 24

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted 24 operatives of international human trafficking syndicates involved in the trafficking of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas of Myanmar origin into the country with forged Indian identity documents for carrying out anti-national activities.

Four citizens of Bangladesh and one Rohingya of Myanmar origin are among the accused named on the chargesheet. Invoking several sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 read with Rule Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, the chargesheet was submitted to the NIA Special Court, Assam (Guwahati), on Monday.

A total of 29 persons were initially arrested by the NIA in massive raids conducted across 39 locations in Tripura, Assam, Jammu Kashmir and West Bengal in coordination with the State police agencies.
A large number of incriminating documents, forged Indian identity documents, bank documents and digital devices were seized during the raids.
Subsequently, based on investigational leads, four more accused were apprehended from Tripura, taking the total number to 33.

Following reliable information that organized human trafficking syndicates were involved in smuggling Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas of Myanmar origin into India using forged documents in order to carry out anti-India activities, the Assam Police first filed a case under the Passport Act 1967 against certain anti-social elements. After that, the NIA reopened the case and assumed control of it.

Investigations by the NIA revealed that international human trafficking syndicates were active along the India-Bangladesh international border in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal and other areas. These syndicates were regularly trafficking Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, and preparing forged Indian identity documents to settle them in various parts of the country.
The network also had linkages with facilitators and traffickers operating in other parts of the country and across the border, as part of a larger network engaged in human trafficking activities through the India-Bangladesh border.