NIA arrests prime conspirator of human trafficking network in West Bengal

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central government’s intelligence arm has arrested the prime conspirator of a human trafficking group on Thursday from the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. The spokesperson of NIA said on Friday that Ruhul Amin Dhali, who is one of the main accused and a crucial link in the human trafficking network was arrested from North 24 Parganas district.

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The official said that Dhali who is 52 was produced before the CJM Court in Basirhat for obtaining transit remand. He will be produced next before the NIA Special Court in Hyderabad. According to the official, the agency recovered one Samsung Galaxy mobile handset, nine SIM cards, including four Bangladeshi SIMs, two memory cards, 10,000 Bangladeshi taka, one diary containing mobile numbers and few identity cards from his possession.

The NIA took over the probe from the Chatrinaka Police Station in Hyderabad. The NIA took over the probe from the Chatrinaka Police Station in Hyderabad. The official said the case is related to the exploitation and immoral trafficking of people from West Bengal and Bangladesh to various cities in India, including Hyderabad.

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Accused received funds from different part of the country

The official also added that Dhali regularly received funds from traffickers from different parts of the country and facilitated illegal border crossing and trafficking of Bangladeshi persons. He was also responsible for running brothels in Hyderabad and in other locations.

The NIA had earlier arrested three accused from a brothel in Hyderabad, the three were also the residents of the North 24 Parganas district. Investigation revealed that the three were habitual offenders in human trafficking. 

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Earlier in the week, the Kolkata police had also arrested about 30 people for their alleged role in human trafficking and rescued 29 women in raids at upscale localities across the city as per PTI. Among the arrests, some were brothel owners and managers while some were identified as customers. Raid was also carried out on a beauty parlour from where six women were rescued and six were arrested. The rescued women have been sent to shelter homes.

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(with inputs from agencies)