NIA charge-sheets eight people allegedly involved in trafficking Rohingyas, Bangladeshis into India

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charge-sheeted eight people suspected to be a part of a transnational syndicate trafficking Rohingyas and Bangladeshis into India using forged documents.

The agency has named Jalil Miah, Hanan Miah, absconder Kajal Sarkar, Adhir Das and Anwar Hussain alias Mama— all of whom were operating from the northeastern state of Tripura, in its supplementary charge sheet filed before a special court in Guwahati, an official statement said.

"Others charge-sheeted have been identified as absconder Kamal Das, brother of charge-sheeted accused Amol Chandra Das, who was operating from Silchar, besides West Bengal-based Liton Chakraborty," it said, adding that the eighth charge-sheeted accused is Bangladeshi national Rabiyl Hasan alias Rabiul Hassan.

According to NIA investigations, Liton Chakraborty was engaged in preparing Indian ID documents for the Bangladeshi nationals on fake or forged supporting documents and certificates through clandestine means, the statement issued by the probe agency said.

Rabiyl Hasan was found to be well connected with the arrested accused in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, it added.

According to the probe by the NIA, which registered a case in this regard in October 2023, the trafficked individuals were being forced into hard labour on low wages and exploited under threat of arrest by police.

The case was originally registered by the Assam Special Task Force (STF) in September 2023.

"Tightening the noose around the human trafficking syndicates operating across India, the NIA on Monday charge-sheeted eight more accused in a case relating to trafficking of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas through the Indo-Bangladesh border as part of a transnational racket," the statement said.

The NIA had earlier filed a charge sheet against 24 Bangladeshi nationals.

Investigations by the NIA, which is continuing with its search for the absconders and other suspects in the case, exposed a massive network of transnational human trafficking operated by various facilitators, touts and traffickers in Assam, Tripura, West Bengal and Bangladesh.

"The probe has revealed a strong nexus between all such operatives," the NIA said.