NIA arrests six over trafficking of Rohingya Muslims

Syndicate supplied forged documents to people to evade detection in India

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested six people who were allegedly part of a syndicate involved in the illegal trafficking of Rohingya Muslims into Indian territory. The network had been operating in the border areas of Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya as well as other parts of the country.

On March 11, the agency also carried out searches at multiple locations in Assam, Meghalaya, and Karnataka in connection with the case.

The NIA registered a case on December 27, 2021, following inputs that the syndicate members — in connivance with their counterparts in Bangladesh — were inducing Rohingya Muslims and those from Bangladesh to illegally enter India via porous border passages in Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and West Bengal. They were also supplying forged Indian identification papers to evade detection, as alleged.

According to the NIA, Kumkum Ahmed Chaudhury was the mastermind behind the network and had been operating from Bengaluru. He belongs to Cachar in Assam. The agency arrested him along with Sahalam Laskar, Ahiya Ahmed Choudhury, Bapan Ahmed Choudhury, and Jamaluddin Ahmed Choudhury, also from Cachar; and Wanbiang Suting, a resident of East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.

During the searches, the agency seized several digital devices whose contents will be analysed for clues about other members of the network, which is spread across several States.