NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against 24 accused, including five from Bangladesh and Myanmar, in a case related to human trafficking in Assam, an official said on Tuesday.
The charge sheet was filed in a special NIA court in Guwahati against the operatives of international syndicates involved in trafficking of nationals of Bangladesh and Rohingya people of Myanmar into India using forged documents, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The accused, including four from Bangladesh and one from Myanmar, were charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Foreigners Act and the Passport (Entry into India) Act and Rules, the official said.
A total of 29 persons were initially arrested by the NIA in massive raids conducted in 39 locations in Tripura, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and West Bengal in coordination with the state police agencies in November last year.
A large number of incriminating documents, forged Indian identity documents, bank documents and digital devices were seized during the raids. Subsequently, four more accused were apprehended from Tripura in December, taking the total number to 33.
The case was initially registered by Assam Police under the Passport Act against some anti-social elements, following credible inputs that organised human trafficking syndicates were involved in trafficking Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya people into India with forged documents for carrying out anti-India activities.
The NIA took over the case on October 6. These syndicates were regularly trafficking Rohingya people and Bangladeshi nationals, and preparing forged Indian identity documents with the intention to help them settle in the country, the official said. The networks also had links with facilitators and traffickers operating in other parts of the country and across the border.