Continuing investigations into the human trafficking network case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday charge-sheeted two men for allegedly illegally crossing into India 10 years ago and pushing Bangladesh nationals into forced labour.
NIA has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Muhammed Sahajalal Haldar and Muhammed Idris alias Erdish Khan, who were arrested in February this year with the help of the Internal Security Division of Karnataka after being on the run for months.
NIA registered a case in November last year after receiving credible inputs about Karnataka-based entities working with facilitators and traffickers in Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh to establish a transnational human trafficking network. Nationwide searches by NIA had led to the arrest of several accused in the case, and the agency had earlier charge-sheeted 12 Bangladeshi nationals under the IPC, Foreigners Act and Passport ( Entry into India) Act.
NIA investigations have revealed that Haldar and Idris, who had crossed into India through Benapole at the Indo-Bangladesh border, initially worked as waste segregators. They later rented land at Seegehalli and Margondanahalli, respectively, in Karnataka and started their waste segregation units by constructing godowns and temporary sheds. They used to employ trafficked Bangladesh nationals and force them into hard labour on meagre wages under threat of arrest by the Indian police, according to an NIA release.
