The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested the key conspirator of a cross border human trafficking racket that was allegedly involved in bringing girls from Bangladesh and engage them into prostitution in Hyderabad and other parts of India, according to a press release by the NIA.
Police arrested Justin alias Abdul Salam, 47, from Hyderabad after receiving a credible tip about his whereabouts.
Arrest in connection with NIA's first human trafficking case
His arrest comes in connection with NIA's first case connected with immoral human trafficking and exploitation after the recently amended NIA act. The case was registered under the Indian penal code (IPC) and sections 3, 4 and 4 of Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act, 1986, in 2019. The NIA Hyderabad unit had busted the trafficking racket in April last year after the Central Crime Station had transferred the case to it. The case was registered at PS Chatrinaka, Hyderabad.
The NIA had already arrested three Bangladeshi nationals and one Indian national connected in the case last year. Mohd Yusuf Khan Md. Imran Shaik, Bithi Begum alias Khadija, and Sojib Shaik were arrested along with an Indian national, Rahul Amin Dhalli for their involvement in illegal trafficking and sexual exploitation of women.
Well-organised trafficking network in India and Bangladesh
In the press release, NIA informed that Justin along with his co-conspirators would bring in girls and women from Bangladesh through a well-organised network of agents and engage them in prostitution rackets in various other parts of India.
"Investigation has revealed that the accused Justin along with his associates conspired in bringing girls illegally from Bangladesh through a well-organised network of agents in Bangladesh and India, for engaging them in a prostitution racket, and was involved in running brothels at various places in Hyderabad and other parts of India," NIA said in the statement.
NIA team conducted searches at Abdul Salam's ancestral home and his rented apartment where it found incriminating evidence against Salam. The sleuths confiscated the documents and proceeded with further investigation.
Two young women were also rescued from Salam's house who were illegally trafficked into India from Bangladesh for sexual exploitation.
