10 accused chargesheeted by NIA in minor Bangladeshi girl trafficking case

NEW DELHI: A total of 10 accused have been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the trafficking of a minor Bangladeshi girl from across the eastern border into Odisha, said the agency in a statement.

In its chargesheet filed before its special court in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the agency has charged the accused for luring the girl with the promise of employment and then pushing her into immoral trafficking to make money. The accused had taken advantage of her family’s poor financial condition to execute the trafficking operation, NIA found during the investigation, which exposed a major human trafficking network.

Initially, the Odisha Police had filed two chargesheets in the POSCO court against six accused persons in the case. NIA, after taking over the probe, conducted searches in multiple locations in West Bengal and arrested two more accused. An examination of their social media accounts and financial transactions led the NIA to the arrest of two more of their associates.

The agency accordingly has filed a chargesheet against all 10 accused under various sections of BNS 2023, the POCSO Act 2012 and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Earlier on November 14, in a separate case, the mastermind in an inter-state arms and narcotics trafficking case linked with Pakistan-based operators was chargeheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

In its chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court, Jaipur (Rajasthan), the investigative agency named Vishal Pachar, charging him under various sections of UA(P) Act, Arms Act, NDPS Act and BNS. The accused was allegedly involved in procuring, transporting and distributing prohibited arms, ammunition and narcotics as part of the arms and drugs trafficking network spanning the northern states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab.

As per NIA investigations in the case, Pakistan-based associates supported the key accused by facilitating the supply of arms, ammunition and heroin.

The consignments were dropped near the border areas using high-powered drones, and were subsequently retrieved by members of the gang on the Indian side for further distribution. The gang members would also procure illegal foreign weapons to arm themselves against the police and other government agencies.

The accused used encrypted communication channels and cross-border couriers to smuggle weapons and narcotics into India through various states, NIA investigations, which it took over from the state police, further revealed. A well-established nexus between illegal arms suppliers and drug traffickers was found targeting youth by pushing psychotropic substances to drive drug addiction, intending to exploit them and spread disaffection against the government machinery. (ANI)